Housemates Solangelo AU
by underworldy-king
Summary: Solangelo AU where Nico and Will are college roommates and though they are different, realize they have a lot more things in common than they think. What happens when their friendship turns into something more? (Most characters belong to Rick Riordan) Warning this fan-fiction does have some language overall triggering topics at times.
1. Nico: Chapter I

I groaned as my best friend dragged me to one of the biggest parties of the year. I was already regretting saying yes to going in the first place.

I hated parties, the people there were all drunk, smelly, assholes and I hated them all. "Oh come on Nico. You own me and this is my request unless you want me to tell everyone about that one thing."

"I said I'd go, not have a good time, Reyna." She rolled her eyes at me and pulled me into the house. It was crowded and smelled like I thought it would have.

"I'll get us a drink, what do you want?" Reyna asked. "Cherry Coke." I looked around at the old trashed house. The walls used to be some white color and somehow turned to a clay shade of brown. _Even clean this would look like shit_ , I thought. I didn't recognize anyone there, even if this was going to be my last year at the college. I never socialize with anyone and if I did they'd just run away after I opened my mouth.

I met Reyna during my first year, she was in one of my science classes till she switched careers the next semester. We sat next to each other and unlike me, she took quick notes. I always had trouble writing quickly, the letters just seemed to go in every direction except the correct way.

Man do I hate dyslexia with a passion.

What shocked me the most was that Reyna and I had stayed friends this long. The first words I told her was that she looked like shit, but to my surprise, she agreed and told me I looked the same.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

She was one of the first people I came out to and she even bought me a rainbow cupcake the next day.

She walked back with a red solo cup filled with gods knows what and a can of cherry coke. "Here ya go," she handed it to me. "So what eye candy are you looking at tonight?" I nearly choked on the sip of coke and glared at her. "My bed."

"Come on Nico, you need to get out there and have some fun. It's your last year then the only bodies you'll be examining will be the ones covered in blood."

I shake my head, "So be it. I don't want a relationship and definitely not one with someone here." She downed her drink and grabbed my hands causing me to drop mine. "Fine but you're dancing with me before I get too drunk and forget this moment." She pulled me into the living room where the music was the loudest.

"You're going to forget this anyway," I told her, but she started dancing. I danced for one song only because I somewhat liked it. But when the next song came on I stopped. I'm not much into the new "popular" music that everyone and their mother listens to. I like the classics or rock not much in-between.

The place only got more crowded by the hour and I just wanted to be anywhere else. People kept bumping into me and it was getting annoying. Reyna was drunk and making out with her girlfriend by the stairs. "Great," I muttered at the two.

I walked over to the kitchen to get another drink when a girl put her arms on my shoulders. "You're cute!" She leaned in like she was going to kiss me. I pulled her arms off me in discussed. "Mangia merde e morte," I muttered. It was one of my favorite sayings. When I was a kid and lived in Italy I remember my dad saying it a lot. Basically, it meant "eat shit and death," I thought it suited the situation well.

The girl just climbed onto another guy and I walked out the kitchen door instead of getting my drink. I had to get out of there before I threw up. I sat down with my back on the cold brick house. The sky had no stars to be seen and the only light outside was the colorful lights inside shining out into the yard.

I pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. I barely got one drag out of it before some guy walked out. "You know those will kill you," he said. "That's the dream," I replied. If smoking was the worse thing I did to my body, I was grateful. There are so many more harmful things people do to their bodies than smoke though it's not a habit I'm proud of, but it's better than the old ones I use to have.

I couldn't see him all that well but I could tell he was tall, at least a whole head taller than me. Then again most people were taller than me. The only person that was shorter than me was my younger sister, Hazel.

"Couldn't take the party either?" I ask after a few minutes of silence. "Yeah, just not feeling it tonight. I told my friend Cecil I'd go but now he's nowhere to be found."

"I was blackmailed into coming by a friend and the last I saw she was making out with her girlfriend." I took a drag out of my cigarette and then put it out in the dirt not wanting to be bothered.

"Well, at least you know where she is. Cecil was my ride and I live nowhere near campus."

I laughed, "Sucks to be you." He chuckled and later walked back inside to find his friend. I waited outside a little longer. The cold wind made me feel numb but I ignored it and looked on my phone.

I made sure I set all my alarms for tomorrow's classes and read a few chapters of a book. I looked at the time and it was only ten. I pulled out a pair of earbuds turning my music up loud enough to block out the crap music in the house.

I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I jump a little pulling one of the earbuds out. The girl had short black hair with a little touch of blue to it. She looked like the type of girl who would punch you for fun. "Reyna said to get you to come in."

"Why, so I can watch you two make out more?" I asked. She laughed. "No she wanted you to have fun before we leave, but I can kiss her more if you want."

"No, let's go in," I said quickly and got up. I followed Thalia inside and over to Reyna. It was probably a good twenty degrees hotter inside. By this time everyone was drunk in the worst way. Pastout, vomiting, or yelling. I never understood why people drank for "fun" I mean what's fun about not being in control of your own actions?

"Nico!" Reyna slurred. She pulled me to dance with her again. Thalia laughed at us as she watched. "You two can't dance to save your lives," Thalia yelled. I had to agree with her we really couldn't dance.

"Show us how it's done then, Grace," I dared her. Thalia wasn't one to turn down a dare. She turned the music up louder and danced along with it. She was better than I thought. She even managed to do a backflip in the crowded room.

"Okay you proved a point," I said to her. Reyna smiled at her, "Great job, Thals!" We hung around for a few more minutes until I could finally get Reyna and Thalia into my car. "I think it would have been easier to kidnap a small village," I grumble getting into the driver's seat of my black Mustang.

I turned on the radio and drove to Thalia's apartment, there was no way they were going to stay at my house- _the extra drive will be worth it in the morning,_ I had to tell myself. The last time I let them stay- let's just say I couldn't get a bag quick enough and there was green stuff on my rug.

I waited until they were both safely inside before driving to my house in silence. It seemed like too much work to turn the radio back on so I didn't. The streets were like something you'd see in one of those films about an apocalypse or something. It was perfect and peaceful to see hardly any vehicles or people on the way to my house.

I pulled into the messy garage and walked into the house making sure all the doors and windows were locked before getting ready for bed. I've always was a little paranoid ever since I started to live alone.

It's better to be sure you're safe, or as safe as you can be.

I showered getting the smell of the frat house off me. The smell of lemons filled the air as I washed my hair. I got dressed in boxers and a t-shirt, jumping into bed to read over my notes before tomorrow's classes.

I walked out to the kitchen to get a glass of water before bed and noticed a red light on my house phone. I push the button and it played the message.

"Mr. di Angelo, you're late on your rent _again,_ if you don't get it to me by the end of this month I will have no other choice then to kick your ass out. Pay up!"

The message ended.

"Late yet again."

I deleted the message and went to bed. It was a problem for tomorrow. I didn't want to think about any money or rent stuff anymore. I worked sure, but it wasn't enough to cover rent unless I never ate or had electric.

This place was just getting to be more work than I originally thought. The yard was a pain to keep up with even if it wasn't that big. Though the thought of moving just made me sick. This was my home even if I paid rent for it.

"Why does this living thing have to be difficult?" I asked as if someone was going to answer me.

I turned off the lights and tried to sleep but it was no use my brain was awake therefore so was I. It was midnight by now and I had to be up in four hours. I grabbed my laptop and looked up ways to get extra money.

When I found nothing useful I did what my head told me not to do, looked for a roommate.

This house was big enough for two people to live comfortably and with it being pretty close to the college, a student might even take the offer which could be cool or go horribly wrong.

I wrote down the stuff they would need to know about the house, how much they would pay per month and a few rules. It was basic human courtesy things but you'd be surprised on how many people don't have that.

I got up again and took a few pictures to show what the place looked like. I also wrote a short description of the rooms.

The house was pretty new everything was updated when I moved in. The walls were all light gray except the bathroom was for some reason bright ass yellow.

It was a two-bedroom, one bath, about a thousand square foot house and if they wanted space in the garage they would have to clean it out to make room.

"Good enough." I set my computer down after posting the ad for a roommate.

I yawned while I turned on the tv instead of going to sleep right away. "Enjoy the freedom of living alone while it lasts," I grumbled at the thought.

I turn off the lights leaving only the glow of the tv in the room. As I climbed back into my fluffy bed. I pulled over a few blankets and fixed the pillows until I finally was comfortable.


	2. Will: Chapter II

"Will honey, Cecil is here!" I woke up with the sun shining into my face like a blinding white light.

It took me a moment to register what my mom said. "Okay, I'll be ready in a minute!" I shouted back.

I quickly got dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans, and my favorite yellow converse. I grabbed my wallet and phone before rushing down the stairs.

"Bye!" I ran out to Cecil's car and got in before my mom could say anything.

"Do you know how long you had me waiting?" Cecil asked me. I rolled my eyes, "I'm only late by three minutes, Mr. disappeared last night and made me walk home."

He drives off ignoring my comment. I watched out the window seeing all the houses fade by. It was warm and sunny out, the trees were finally green after so long of it being nothing but gray outside.

I turned the radio on and it started to play "I'll Make A Man Out Of You." I laughed. "Really?" Cecil shrugged and sang along- which only made it worse since his voice was like that of a dying cat mixed with nails in a blender.

When we made it to the coffee shop I was grateful not to be stuck in the car with him any longer. We walked into Latte's, the familiar tan walls and the smell of freshly baked pastries welcomed us in. I worked there for most of the week and yet on my off days, I still came in for food.

"I don't know why you're being so crabby lately. You need to chill, you're more than halfway done with your schooling this is the time to live!" Cecil said with an energetic voice. It was too early for this much happiness and positivity.

I ordered a chai tea latte and Cecil got his normal sugar bomb of coffee.

We took a seat at one of the tables near the windows. "I don't know I guess it's my parents. They won't tell me directly but the hints to move out and get a life are there," I explained to him.

"So do it. You could get an apartment or live on campus right?" he asked. I shook my head, "I lived on campus my first year and I will never do that again. And as far as the apartment goes, I don't know I doubt they would be in my price range for as close as I'd like them to be to the school."

Piper, one of my close friends who also worked at Latte's came up to us. She had the purple apron on and held rags from cleaning off the tables. "Will you're twenty-one just move out, you'll feel much better and less moody."

"I agree with rainbow eyes, you just need to rip the band-aid off," Cecil adds. "Fine. Where then? Since you all know everything that's good for me," I asked thinking they won't have any answers. I was wrong.

"Well, just your luck. One of the regulars is looking for a new roommate. He doesn't seem like the type to murder you in your sleep so look up the ad," she gestured me to give her my phone. I comply and handed it to her.

"Here it looks pretty nice," she said giving me my phone back. I looked through the pictures and it seemed nice enough. "Okay I'll look into it," I told them. Cecil took my phone, "This isn't that far and it looks like he's doing showings lets go!"

Piper grinned and walked off to finish her work. I don't know why but I did and didn't want to move out. I was happy where I was but everyone was pushing me to "grow up" maybe if I moved out it would shut them up.

Right?

I sighed, "Fine, but we are just looking," I warned. We finished up our drinks and walked back to the car. "Send me the address," Cecil told me. I sent the address to him and we drove off.

The house was nice, the lawn was freshly cut and there were even flowers on the deck that complemented the gray house well.

We walked up to the door and knocked. A girl with dark braided hair answered with a smile. "For the showing?" she asked.

"We sure are," Cecil answered.

"Come in."

We walked into the house and it was an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The walls were light gray and the floors were a dark wood, the place looked even better on the inside. "The owner will be back in a few minutes until then I'll give you a tour."

Cecil and I nodded in agreement.

"Okay as you can see this is the kitchen, dining room, and living room all in one. It was all redone a year ago." She walked us down a short hall. "To the left is the room being rented out, all the way down the hall is the renter's room, and to the right is the bathroom," She flicked on the light in the bathroom.

Cecil laughed. "Will it's perfect for you!" The bathroom was bright yellow with a small window making it look even brighter. I couldn't say I disliked it, yellow was always a happy color to me.

"Really? Nico the renter, hates it. Oh, I'm Reyna by the way." I shook her hand, "Will and that's my friend Cecil."

A door shut out in the other part of the house to who I assumed the renter was back. "That must be him, I'll have him show you the garage and laundry room." We walked out to the living room to see a guy with pale skin, and messy black hair. He was dressed in all black as well.

"Nico meet Will and Cecil they are looking at the house?" Cecil shook his hand, "Well technically, Will is the one looking to move out. I'm just here for moral support."

"Nice to meet you, both." His voice was deeper than I thought it would be for someone his size.

"Show him the garage and laundry room, then the tour will be over," Reyna told Nico.

He gave her the finger and walked to the door through the kitchen hall. "Over there is the laundry room," he points to a small room with a washer, dryer, and a sink. "And out here is the garage. It's kinda where I throw everything so it will need to be cleaned when you move in if you want the space."

I looked around at the boxes and bins of junk, other then the car there wasn't much room for anything else. "I can do that," I told him. He seemed kinda weird at first but the house was nice and close to school I'd be an idiot not to take the offer, plus it didn't hurt that he was cute.

He and Reyna talked for a minute before he came over to me. "You have the place if you want it. I do have some rules but nothing too much."

I nod, "Sounds great what are they?" I asked. "One, you clean up after yourself. Two, if you have company more than one or two people tell me beforehand. Three you keep quiet in the afternoons because that's mostly when I sleep and; four, you stay out of my personal business."

The last one seemed a bit odd but I agreed and ended up signing the papers I needed to that day. "I'll give you the money tomorrow seeing how I didn't know I'd be doing this today."

"Works for me. I'll leave the key under the pot out front. I won't be home tomorrow until one in the morning but just move in and leave the money on the kitchen counter."

Once everything was signed Cecil and I went and got some bins, boxes, and containers to pack and store my things. When we got back to my house I started to pack up most of my stuff.

Cecil helped me get the bigger things packed and left because he was tired. "Lou and I will come by tomorrow to help you get all that stuff onto your truck."

I was surprised at how quick this happened but I also felt a weight off my chest. Luckily I didn't have to pack my bed or dresser because Nico said I could have the ones in the room already. I managed to get all my clothes packed in two hours and the decorations I wanted to take with me.

By the time my parents and younger sisters were home I only had to take everything downstairs and pack up my books. I helped set the table for dinner since I wasn't much of a cook. I was the type of person who could tell you all the classic southern dishes but would burn toast.

"How was everyone's day?" my stepfather asked. I never thought he liked me much just tolerated me because of my mom. He was good for her so I never said how he was kinda a jerk. My sisters are also my step sisters he had from a previous marriage the oldest was twelve and the other one was six.

My real dad lived in California, but we discovered it was better if I lived with my mom.

"It was great, I got to play outside today!" Lila my youngest sister said. "I got a B on my math quiz," Jessica my other sister said. I felt their eyes wander to me which made my anxiety stronger. "I uh found a place to live. It's closer to school and it's really nice." I said trying to act normal and not let my nerves get to me.

"That's wonderful, Will," my mom said with a smile. My stepdad just said, "About time." I wanted to roll my eyes but stopped myself. "Yeah, I will be roommates with another student who rents the house."

"What's he like?" Lila asked. "He seems nice. He's short and really intimidating and I probably won't see him all that much because most of his classes are at night."

"How can you be short and intimidating?" Jessica asked curiously. I shrugged honestly I didn't know why but just the look in his eyes made you not want to get on his bad side. "Just a feeling I guess."

I ate the rest of the dinner and helped clean up the dishes. "Cecil and Lou said they'd help me move tomorrow," I told my mom while I washed the dishes. "Okay well make sure to still stop by I don't want you to eat like shit. I know you can't cook to save a life."

I laugh at her comment and agree to come by and visit. I got a quick shower and then packed up all the bathroom stuff I'd be taking with me. I got into bed and texted Lou to make sure she and her boyfriend were here at the right time. Lou was more like a sister to me than a friend and then she met Cecil and we all hit it off.

 **Lou:** _ **Okay Will, we are going to be there by nine so be up! I can't wait to see the new place.**_

 **Will:** _**I'll be up, thanks for helping.**_

I got up and packed up my books and after three hours I figured out how to take apart my bookcase. "Why does everything have to be so difficult?" I questioned. I finished up the rest of my things and put everything by the door for tomorrow. I then went out and cleaned out my truck and put a few boxes inside.

I said goodnight to everyone and read a story to my youngest sister before going over to my room. I set a few alarms just in case I slept in. I laid down taking one last look at my room. The walls were light yellow and all pretty much empty since I only decided to leave a few of my posters.

I smiled at the old memories of the house. I'd miss the place for sure but I was looking forward to creating new memories and traditions. I pulled the soft blankets up and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Nico: Chapter III

Any sane person would not be awake at four in the morning, I, on the other hand, was not sane. I made my way to the bathroom not bothering to turn on the lights. There was no way I was looking at the yellow walls. The cold water helped me wake up but I quickly turned it to warm.

I got out and dressed in recorded time. I packed my backpack with the things I'd need for the day and for work later. "Wallet, phone, forensic science notebook, a pen, and keys." I went out to the kitchen and made breakfast.

I cracked an egg into the hot pan, putting a mix of onions and peppers with it. I ate quickly and washed up the dirty dishes before leaving the house.

The dark sky faded lighter with every mile I drove to campus. I always found it funny to watch the people walk into the buildings of the school at this hour. Either they were wide awake or like the majority, were walking zombies.

I liked how most of the people in the odd hours of classes seemed to be more interested in the actual lesson, where the ones during the day didn't really care as much. I walked to the forensic building, one of my favorites.

The building wasn't much to look at and in fact, took a long time for me to find the first year going here. It blended in well with its neighboring buildings. The only way you could tell which door to go in was if you looked closely at each one.

To the left of the doorknob was a slight red stain, that's it. No one knew how it got there some of the people in my class said it was blood, but it was never determined. I pull open the door and walk down the tiled floors.

I had my earbuds in and the music as loud as I could but still somewhat hear my surroundings. Room 108 was almost always full at this time of day. I knew that it was mandatory for basically everyone looking to pick a path in the forensic fields.

I always liked learning about more of the "creepy" things in life. I remember watching crime shows as a kid and having to quickly turn the channel pretending I was asleep when my dad would walk in. It always fascinated me.

When I told my dad what I was going to school for he said, "Next best thing to being a murderer." I didn't know why he told me that, but it was one of the more nicer words my dad told me.

I took my seat pulling out my earbuds and getting ready for class. I sat beside Jason one of my friends. Reyna and him kinda dated, but it didn't work out so Reyna was dating his sister now and he was dating a girl named Piper off and on.

We had some of the same classes he was going to school to be a forensic pathologist. Which means he would be the one examining the bodies and determining the cause of death. He was the "mom" kind of friend. Him and by sister Hazel would always ask me if I ate breakfast that day, how many hours did I sleep, and if I had any bad days lately.

I hated every one of those questions. I didn't eat much because I was rarely hungry most likely because lack of sleep but it was under control. I didn't sleep much because I'd have nightmares and when I didn't sleep much I got hallucinations.

I had to take medication ever since my older sister Bianca and my mother died. It was something I never got over and don't think I ever will. The nightmares are linked to this event of course.

The hallucinations were only ever of Bianca, but it wasn't her at all. She was mean and hateful in the hallucinations. The real Bianca wasn't like that at all, she was smart, determined, and looked out for me when we were kids. She was my best friend and I lost her.

The lecture lasted about four hours and when it was time to leave Jason offered to buy me coffee. I was going to get coffee anyways so I agreed. We drove to the one down the road a little. It was a small but wonderful cafe called Latte's.

The coffee shops on campus were never as good in fact I never found a place that Latte's could beat. The place was like heaven to me. It was never busy, the coffee was like nothing you ever tasted before, and the atmosphere was always a delight.

I took in the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and walked to the counter. "Hey, guys what can I get ya?" the girl also known as Piper asked us. "The usual," I told her. She nodded. "One 'I haven't slept in a week' and a caramel frappuccino coming right up." Jason paid her.

She had the drinks made in less than a minute. Jason made a sappy comment to her and I booed him causing him to glare in my direction. "I buy you coffee and this is how you repay me?"

"Dude, stop watching the chick flicks with Percy because that was just-" Piper cut me off.

"Cheesy?" she offered.

I nodded in agreement. That's something I really liked about Piper she wasn't like the other girls, she hated all things romantic and once told me she'd rather eat glass than watch the "Notebook" one more fucking time.

The Notebook was one of Jason's favorite movies and I tried to watch it once but just couldn't do it.

"Fine whatever you two are loveless souls," Jason said before walking over to a table. I laughed it was fun watching a fully grown man sulk.

"Try to go easy on him, your not the one who has to live with him," Piper laughed.

"Thank the gods," I replied and walked over to sit with him. After a few minutes of sitting in silence hearing only the soft music of the cafe Jason spoke. "So, Pipes told me you got yourself a roommate. How's that going for you?"

"He's to be moving in today. So I'll get back to you on that." I took a drink of the coffee savoring the flavor.

"But is he cute?" he asked. I nearly choked on my coffee. "I-I don't think that's important. And isn't your girlfriend right over there?" I asked trying to change the subject.

I learned that Jason wasn't the best to tell who you thought was cute or not. Sure he kept it secret but he'd try to play cupid and get you two together. "Don't change the subject and I'm not asking for me." He winked like actually winked.

"If it will shut you up, then yes he is attractive but that doesn't mean I want to date the dude." Jason only smirked at my comment, "Who said anything about dating-" I cut him off. "Jason Grace don't you dare finish that sentence."

"You could be fuck buddies it's much more casual nowadays and stop being a prude."

I slapped him and got up.

"See ya, Piper," I waved to her before I made my way outside and drove back to campus just in time for my next class.

Luckily Jason was not in this one.

After I finished up with the few classes I had, I drove to work. The sun was setting as I pulled into the parking lot.

It was the time of year where my job would be more demanding. I worked as a gravedigger ever since I was fifteen. My dad told me it was this or I would help out at the funeral home.

You can tell which I picked.

It wasn't a "bad" neighborhood but every summer things would get messed up. I also helped take care of the cemetery by cleaning up trash assholes left behind, taking away dead flowers, and the occasional cleaning spray paint off a tombstone because some asshat thought it was "cool".

I liked this place as weird as it sounded. It was peaceful and I didn't have to talk to anyone. I walked into the main building off to the side of the cemetery and got my chart. I had three graves to dig and to clean the north area.

I grabbed a few bags and gloves walking over to the north section of the cemetery before the sun went down fully. It was pretty normal, the old half drank alcohol and burned up cigarettes. I threw the shit away and grabbed the keys to the backhoe along with the small map showing where to dig the holes.

It was fully dark out by the time I got to the backhoe, only the light from the machine shining on a pile of dirt.

I got bored a lot when it came to working here, I'd bring my music along but it only made me paranoid that I couldn't hear my surroundings all that well, even if the machine wasn't quiet, in fact, it was loud and every fucking time you backed up it beeped.

I was tempted so many times to unattach the cord that caused it to beep, but it was too much work to figure out. I knew how to drive the thing not much else.

I even wondered who would be going into the grave, sometimes it was marked on the chart but most of the times it remained a mystery.

To pass time I would make up stories as to who the person was, how they died, and if people would show up at the person's funeral. I didn't always have the best thoughts while doing that. My mind wandered off into a different world.

The thing though that I absolutely hated about this job was digging the smaller graves. It was always something that I dreaded. I thought about the children's family and how it would affect them like it did my own family.

After Bianca and my mom died my dad started to work more and more. Between two jobs I rarely saw him. I was alone for so long when things started to get better I didn't know how to react.

I found out about Hazel when her own mother died. She came to live with us. I knew my dad had another child but only whispers about her. Hazel and I hit it off and at first, I feared to get close to her, I didn't want the same thing that happened to Bianca to happen to Hazel.

After about three years my dad remarried to a woman named Persephone. She was really nice and would always have Hazel and I help in the gardens. I knew my dad really liked her when he was home for breakfast and dinner which was a rare thing before. I liked her, but her mother, on the other hand, was the problem. Her mom was strict and temperamental on a good day.

Let's just say I was so glad to move out.

I finished up the last hole and put everything back. I crossed off everything on the chart and grabbed my money on the desk in the office. I locked up the doors again and walked back to my car.

I drove to McDonald's to treat myself to dinner or lunch considering I haven't had any food since breakfast. I got my favorite a Happy Meal and a small cup of coke. I ate in the restaurant not wanting to get the smell of food in my car.

It was midnight so there was only one other person besides the workers in the restaurant. I finished up quickly and threw out the trash.

I got home at one in the morning to see a blue Ford truck in the driveway. I pulled my car in and make my way through the maze that was my garage. I took the envelope on the kitchen counter. It said "rent" on with a smiley face at the bottom.

I made my way to the bathroom to wash my face. I changed out of my work clothes and got into bed trying to be quiet and not wake my new roommate.

 _Gods I hope he's not weird._


	4. Will: Chapter IV

I woke up with the sun as I almost always did. I don't think the realization that I moved out kicked in yet, something about it just seemed unreal. I got dressed and walked out to the kitchen trying my best not to wake my roommate.

I looked through all the cabinets yesterday so I knew where everything was. It's not snooping if I live here now too, is it?

Either way, I got some cereal considering I couldn't make anything else. I poured some almond milk into the bowl and started to eat.

I was off from work today which was nice just to have the extra time to settle into the new house. I finished up my room yesterday with Lou's and Cecil's (mainly Lou's) help. I also had no classes today and was relieved, the last thing I wanted to do was think about school.

Why did med school have to be so difficult to do? I groaned. I took another bite of my food not realizing the figure practically walk out of the shadows.

"Morning," I said. Nico only nodded and went to make a cup of coffee.

His hair went up in every direction and he looked like he hadn't slept at all. He was like a zombie before his coffee. I watched him go back to his room and within a few minutes, he came back out as a completely different person.

He was once again dressed in all black to which I assumed was all he owned.

His once messy hair brushed and pulled back into a very small ponytail. "I was thinking we could work out a schedule, you know who cooks or cleans, stuff like that."

I nodded and washed up my dishes. "I can clean, but I am a horrible cook," I stated.

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded. Most people from the south could cook and cook really good, my mom was a good example of that, but me not so much.

I still had an accent from when I lived in Texas, even if it was a while ago. And so for some reason, people think I can cook.

"Okay, I will be doing the cooking then. Any allergies I should know of?"

"Nope, I don't think so. I can eat anything really." He got another cup of coffee adding sugar to it.

"Great, I'll write a list of things to get and we can go tonight," he said it more like a question. "Works for me, I was just going to clean up the garage today."

He got a notepad and pen out of a drawer. His handwriting was messy and a few of the letters took him longer to write. It was a long list and I wondered what on Earth he was going to make with "goat cheese and radicchio leaves" I mean what is a radicchio leaf?

"Okay I should be home by three if you want to go then," he clipped the list to the fridge.

After he left I procrastinated cleaning. It was too easy to just watch tv or read, so that's what I did. When an hour past I got up and walked out to the garage opening the two large doors for the extra light.

There were boxes everywhere and just as much crap. He really wasn't joking when he said he just threw everything out there. I started with the cleaner side which was only clean enough to pull in his Mustang, not much more than that.

I picked up the boxes and folded/smashed them into the recycling bin. I had a few containers left over so I put the things into them. There were books, Christmas lights (tangled of course), old photos, and just plain trash.

I was able to get all the books into one bin and it only took about three hours to untangle the Christmas lights. I placed all the pictures on a pile until I got all the trash picked up and properly thrown away.

There were a lot more pictures then I would have thought and some looked really old. The edges burned or torn on some. I couldn't help but look through them. I remembered the rule about the personal business thing sure, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

There was a lot of pictures of him as a kid with a girl who looked a lot like him just slightly older. I assumed it was his sister considering they both shared the same dark eyes and olive colored skin. It was when I got to the more recent looking pictures I noticed the girl wasn't in any more of the pictures.

He also didn't look as happy as he did before. There was, however, another girl and a guy who reminded me of that one dude from "Mulan" just with shorter hair. It as a polaroid and at the bottom read, "Frank, Hazel, and Neek's" it was written in neat cursive I knew it couldn't have been Nico's handwriting.

The girl was in most of the pictures often hugging Nico. There was one where Nico was glaring and she put her hands on Nico's face forcing him to smile. It made me laugh.

Most of the pictures were random, there were lots of ones in a cemetery for some reason.

I placed all the pictures into one of the plastic storage bins I had and closed the lid. I stacked everything off into the corner.

Lastly, I swept out all the dust and cobwebs, then pulled the trash and recycling bins in and set them in the middle bit between the two spaces for the vehicles.

I looked at my work and smiled, it looked like a different room. I shut the doors and head inside to get a shower. The weather was getting a lot hotter with each day. One thing I liked about living in New York was that there were seasons.

I didn't like Winter but spring, summer, and fall I enjoyed a lot. I got a quick shower to get all the sweat and dirt off. The hot water felt nice and refreshing.

I quickly got out and dressed, ready to leave to the store.

It took a lot longer time than I thought it would to clean the garage so when I was dressed in fresh clothes it wasn't long until Nico got back.

The drive was silent on the way to the Supermarket. He took several minutes to park the car.

"Why not that one? There isn't anyone there," I asked. It was an open space close to the store.

"No, I don't want anyone scratching my car," he said like it was obvious.

So we parked at the end of the parking lot where there weren't any other cars.

I grabbed a cart and followed Nico into the store.

We walked around getting all the things we needed. Lots of fruits and vegetables, very healthy things.

So I wandered off to the baked goods because there is nothing better than cake or cookies or any sweets really.

There were so many different types of cakes I just stared at them unsure what to get.

"No." Nico walked up beside me and said. I jumped not realizing he was there. He was like a cat when he walked, silent but you felt a creepy/delightful presence.

"Just one?" I whined.

I wanted that cake. "No, that shit is bad for you," Nico said.

"It is not. It is good for the soul," I stated.

"Fine, but when someone murders you it's going to be disgusting having to look at the cake in your stomach."

I take the vanilla cake and put it in the cart. "Jokes on you, that would be disgusting regardless."

He rolled his eyes at me and we continued to shop. He mostly got healthy foods and all that shit. I got junk food, like chips, cookies, cake, and all the yummy foods. He only let me get the cake and one bag of chips though.

"Aren't you going to school to be a doctor?" he asked irritated. "Yes, but it doesn't mean I'm going to be a good one."

"Good gods, how are you not three hundred pounds already?" I laughed at his comment and strike a pose.

"Paint me like one of your french girls." Nico only shook his head.

"William, people are starting to stare. Move your ass."

The look on his face made the embarrassing moment worth it. I followed him along trying to get anything that tasted good but to no avail.

An hour had passed and we were back at home, I was unpacking the groceries and Nico was starting dinner. I grabbed the last of the bags and brought them into the house. It already smelled amazing.

Garlic and herbs filled the air making me hungrier than I already was. "Change of plans, I'm making spaghetti," Nico said as he got a big pot and put it on the gas stove. I put everything away by the time he cooked the spaghetti itself.

I didn't really know what to do, was it wrong just to watch someone make dinner or should I help?

"Grab the bread," Nico stated. "You can butter bread right?" he asked in a joking tone. "Yes and that's about it."

I got a knife and cut two pieces of the fresh bread we bought and buttered it like he said to do. When the food was ready we sat down and ate. It was the best spaghetti I had ever had, _sorry mom_. It tasted like something you'd get in an Italian restaurant, in the heart of Italy.

"This is amazing, Nico!"

"What did you think, I'd be a bad cook like you?" he raised a brow. He looked kinda cute like that.

"No, I just mean- just take the damn compliment," I said taking another bite.

We cleared the table when we finished up and I went to do the dishes. "I'm going to class, see ya," with that comment Nico left.

I didn't really know why people would want to take the night classes. They were creepy and the buildings were even more difficult to find in the dark.

I mean I guess it's useful for some people obviously, I just wouldn't want to.

When I finished up cleaning I took a bubble bath and read a few chapters of a book called "The Mysterious Benedict Society." It was a great book and it was my second time reading the series. The books kinda started out slow, but are just so amazing.

My sister, Kayla and I loved these books. When our dad brought us the second one home we fought over who got to read it first. I missed living with my dad because of Kayla, she was my best friend growing up.

After a while I heard my phone buzz, I set my book down on the nightstand and texted back Lou.

 **Lou:** _**Dude, you'll never guess who is in my class!**_

 **Will:** _**I don't like this game and you know it, just tell me**_

 **Lou:** _ **Ya roomie, I just now noticed, oops**_

I shook my head Lou didn't pay much attention in class or most anywhere for that matter. She once forgot her own birthday because she never looked at her calendar or bothered to look on her phone.

 **Will:** _ **That's great.**_

I texted back sleepily.

 **Lou:** _ **I'll go say hi for you!**_

I read the text and immediately woke up she wouldn't dare, a flashback to when we were out at the mall and I made the mistake of telling her one of the guys at the arcade was hot. She got his number and told him and I quote: "want to get freaky."

 **Will:** _ **NO, so help me- Lou, I will post the pictures of you in fifth grade**_

 **Lou:** _ **You little bitch, won't tell him you have th for him**_

I rolled my eyes, I was not letting her ruin my time living here. Plus Nico probably wasn't even into guys, no one I found attractive ever was.

I turned off my lights and plugged in my phone before going to sleep.


	5. Nico: Chapter V

To say I was stressed was an understatement. Over the last few weeks, I had been studying non-stop for my upcoming exams. It was my last year and the pressure felt like my uncle Zeus sat on my chest after eating Thanksgiving dinner.

It felt just as bad as you can imagine it would.

I sighed and walked out to an empty kitchen. The stars still high in the sky were the only light in the room. I refused to turn on a light so when I hit my toe on the kitchen island it took a lot not to scream.

So instead I calmly said, "FUCK YOU, YOU DICKLESS ASS WAFFLE, BITCH CHESTICALS!"

I glared at the island as I downed my first cup of coffee of the day. My first exam started in an hour only making my mood worse. I grabbed my phone and earbuds turning the music up slightly louder then I should have.

I was sitting at my desk with five minutes left to spare. The room was silent, normally at least a few people would talk or laugh but you could feel the nerves in the air.

It wasn't that I was scared to fail, in fact, I felt confident that I knew what I was doing. The problem was that I hated taking tests, it was a stupid use of knowledge to me.

Sure things to test your knowledge to make sure you understand the topic is important, but not in a hundred plus question kind of way.

One thing I did like about the exam was it was on the more creative side. Not many people would think of how to get the perfect picture at a crime scene unless your job depended on it or you were slightly insane . . . maybe both.

"Begin," the professor spoke, his voice was scruffy like his disheveled appearance. People often thought of him as an ex-murderer and I couldn't blame them.

I opened the first page of the exam and a picture appeared. It was "blood" spattered against a once white wall. I could easily tell it was projected meaning it occurred when energy was transferred to the blood source.

I studied the picture for a moment, the words "the higher the velocity the smaller the drops," lingered in my mind.

I wrote the answer down saying it was an arterial spurt, which is when the bloodstain pattern results in the blood exiting the body under pressure from a breached artery. Fun stuff right?

I finished the test in forty minutes and walked to get my coffee fix.

Piper greeted me in the cafe. "So how'd it go?" she asked nervously.

We both had the same course she just chose to do her classes in the day and work at night. If anyone had me tied for horrible sleeping patterns it was the one and only Piper McLean herself.

"No not too bad, you should be fine," I said as she made my coffee. Yes, I was that guy who came into a coffee shop so much I never even needed to order anymore they just knew.

She handed me my cup and I paid her. "Good, I can _not_ afford to fail. My grades are already slipping lower than I want, but I never get time to do anything." She sighed and gave me my change.

"If you want you can come over sometime before the big exam and we can study together," I said surprising myself even.

"Really that would be great! I'll text you then." I nodded and drove to work.

It was two in the morning and the grass had started to get droplets of water on it making the sight of the cemetery a beautiful view. Light fog in the distance and the dark blue sky mixed together like Will's stupid obsession with sweets.

I did my normal routine of cleaning up around the lot and digging a grave. This time I spent more time cleaning up because some _bastardo_ had to spray paint on one of the tombstones. It took a while but I eventually scrubbed it off.

I was unfortunately used to doing this task especially when the middle/high schoolers got out on summer break. I hoped someday it would happen to them when they died as morbid as it sounded.

It was disrespectful, rude, and pathetic to do anything like that to someones resting place.

I pushed my anger aside and dug the grave I had to that night or technically day. I locked everything up and drove to the supermarket down the street. The only place that would sell flowers at this hour. I looked through the slightly messed up bouquets of flowers.

There were rainbows of colors to pick from and just as many different kinds of flowers to choose from as well.

I picked the white roses with yellow on the edges. The white meant innocents, purity, and loyalty all of the above or whichever you chose for them to mean and the yellow meant joy, caring, happiness, and most of all true friendship.

I learned from my stepmother, she loved flowers and had one of the most amazing gardens I had ever seen.

She would always tell Hazel and me to help her; it was one thing I grew to enjoy with time, though I'd never admit that to anyone.

I also bought a small bouquet of what looked to be the most alive out of what was left.

I drove back with my music up loud but not loud enough to wake any of the people who lived by. I first took the bouquet of daisies and fixed them up next to the grave I had cleaned spray paint off of.

It wasn't much but I figured it was better than nothing. Next, I walked to a grave near a line of tall pine trees. The tombstone was clean and almost shiny still, even after many years.

It was black but when the sun hit it had green specks that shined off it. The name was of my older sisters, "Bianca di Angelo."

I smiled and took the old flowers out of the vase cleaning it off and putting the fresh roses in. I came here more than people should have. Every week I'd replace the flowers and make sure no one messed with her grave.

When she first died I'd walk to her in the middle of the night even if it was a two-hour walk, normally in nothing but ripped jeans and a t-shirt.

Our mothers grave was beside hers, but the only time I'd put flowers on it was for Mothers Day.

Don't get me wrong I loved my mother it was just how she acted after leaving Italy. I was a kid so the memories were foggy but I remembered her not caring for our well being like our father did.

Either way, I tried hard not to think about past memories, when I did I'd start remembering how their deaths were my fault.

I got up and threw out the old dead flowers from last week and simply drove home.

When I was back at the house there was no sign that Will was awake, so I walked quietly to my room and flopped onto my bed.

Everything hurt. My stomach growled and I remembered the only thing I had so far was two large cups of coffee. I took two Advil and ignored the pain falling asleep only to be met with another terrorizing nightmare.


	6. Will: Chapter VI

It had been a month since I moved out and so far so good. It almost felt like I lived alone some of the time. Nico had weird schedules for work and school so he would often leave in the middle of the night.

Every once in a while we'd have dinner or breakfast together and talk. I learned that he never really liked talking about himself or anything about the past.

They were the topics to avoid, even if I wanted to know them. I knew better than to push the questions.

I got up as normal and had the house to myself. The sun shined in through the big windows of the living room. I made a cup of hot ginger tea and opened the microwave to see a plate with eggs and toast on.

The deal we made was that he cooked and I had to clean up. It seemed like a good idea and the food was always amazing. I quickly ate my breakfast and washed up the kitchen.

I turned on my music and sang along as I got dressed and ready to leave for class. It was rare that I got dressed in silence, I almost always had to have music to get me up and ready for the day.

I pulled on a clean white t-shirt, faded jeans, and yellow converse. I mostly listened to musical kind of songs or country music out of habit I guess.

When I lived with my dad and my sister Kayla, we would blast our favorite musicals up to full volume our dad didn't care in fact he sang along.

Though he was an attention hog taking the lead half the time. Then when I moved to my mom's she often had country music on because it was her favorite.

I smiled at the old memories and grabbed my keys. As soon as I pulled out of the garage Nico pulled in. I waved to him before I drove to campus. Normally I'd try to walk but I had work after my first two classes and just didn't want to be bothered.

I took a seat next to Cecil which as normal he was fast asleep on the small desk. We had one class together and I only wondered how he got this far in school. I'm not saying he's stupid or anything it's just he didn't care or was off causing trouble.

"Get up," I moved his book so his head fell onto the desk causing him to open his eyes. "Why must you do this to me every time?" he asked in a sleepy voice.

"So you can be awake for at least one of your classes." He slowly got up and downed a soda. I shook my head, "It's hopeless," I muttered. I tried to get him to stop drinking as much soda as he did but it was useless. He had ways of getting it for 'free' so he took it when he got the opportunity.

I tried my best not to ask questions, the less I knew about what he did in his free time, the better.

As usual class went on and on. The first class was everything to do with financial education, the basics of adulting really and the second was organic chemistry.

At last, I was free of school for several hours and drove over to the Latte's where I worked.

Today I worked with a kid named Leo. He was pretty fun to work with, he joked around a lot and flirted with almost all the female customers even though he had a girlfriend. "Sup, amigo," he greeted me.

I put the signature purple apron on and a hat to match. "Hey Leo, how's it goin'?" I asked. "It's going great just saw some fine girls this morning," he grinned. "You do realize Calypso co-owns this place right?"

"Yeah, I know we're saving up to buy a garage then I will finally be able to do the work I want," he said with an upbeat voice.

He always wanted to be a mechanic like his mom who died when he was only a child. His girlfriend Calypso also had an interest in owning a garage for repairs for just about anything.

She owned more of the baking and gardening part of the cafe. All the fruits and vegetables in our food were all grown by her.

After a few minutes of talking with him, I clocked in and got to work making coffees for the next seven hours. Things went as normal at work, it was busy but not uncomfortably busy near lunch. I finished up just in time to go back to school for one last class.

The class was boring but informational at the same time. If you have ever watched the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the teacher that says "Bueller, Bueller," over again that is how my professor talked. If you never heard of the movie just look it up.

It was now four in the afternoon and I drove to my mom's house for dinner. She told me I would have to come back at least once a week for dinner or she'd you know disown me or something.

I walked in, the familiar smells of her famous chocolate cake filled the air. So I obviously walked straight to the kitchen. "Will, honey," she smiled and hugged me. "Hey, mom."

She asked about the normal things like how school was going, how was work, and all that kind of stuff. I loved talking to her, she listened well and always had a way to put a smile on my face.

I had to, of course, set the table and make sure everyone had a tall glass of homemade sweet iced tea. My step-father came home and kicked off his shoes at the door. Jessica and Lila walked in after him.

"Will!" Lila ran over to me with a big smile. "Hey, Lila," I picked her up and hugged her.

We all sat around the table talking about our days and it was like it was when I lived there. I more or less was just waiting till I could have cake but tried to focus on the conversations.

"Will, be a dear and get the small plates for dessert," my mom asked getting up and to finally getting the chocolate cake.

I sat a piece of cake in front of everyone and sat down to enjoy a piece myself. This is how I could end every day for the rest of my life.

I loved cake.


	7. Nico: Chapter VII

I woke up to my sister poking me in the face. "Hazel I gave you a key for emergencies, not for a wake-up call," I was not a morning person. She opened the curtains letting sunlight into my room. So I pulled up my blankets as any gremlin would do.

"Will let me in any way so I didn't use the key," she stated and sat on the edge of my bed. "Get up, I have news and I want pancakes."

I rolled my eyes but got up and walked to the kitchen. "What kind?" I asked Hazel. "I like blueberry," Will chimed in, sitting on the couch reading a small book.

"Yeah, blueberry pancakes," Hazel said sitting at the bar that faced the kitchen. "Ew, no I'll make blueberry waffles but not pancakes," I said getting out the ingredients.

I never understood why people liked pancakes they were just a rip off of waffles.

Could they hold the toppings?

No, they could not.

"Whatever Neek's, as long as they are good," Hazel smiled. She seemed in a better mood than normal. "Yeah Neek's make them good," Will said not looking up from his book.

I glared at him, I didn't mind the name "Neek's" but only by Hazel. I got the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt mixing all the dry ingredients together. Then added in the buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, butter, and blueberries into the mixture.

"So what's the news?" I asked Hazel. She smiled and put her hands on the counter, meaning she meant business or it was something she was excited about.

"I'm kinda moving in with Frank," she said quickly. It took me a minute to register what she said. Before I could answer I saw Will out of the corner of my eye taking the spoon out of the bowl. "William no. That has raw egg in, get out of the kitchen!" I said.

Gods I sounded like a mother.

"Where does Frank live anyway?" I asked Hazel. "Well he has a house in Canada, but he has an apartment twenty minutes away!" she spoke.

"Then you can come over more and get him out of bed before noon?" Will asked throwing the spoon into the sink, no doubt licking it off after I said not to.

Would it be rude to kick him?

"Exactly! We can have game night and since it is summer we can go to parks, and all that stuff," Hazel said excitedly.

It had been a while since I saw her this happy, she was never a sad person, to begin with, but she just seemed more carefree. "Well I'm happy for you and Frank," I said piling up the waffles onto a plate.

"Will get the toppings out of the fridge," I demand. He did as I said and got the butter, whip cream, maple syrup, and normal syrup. We all sat around the table enjoying the waffles. I wasn't all that hungry, I never was in the mornings.

I had half left not even wanting the half I ate. "Nico," Hazel's voice was a warning. I hated when she said my name like that. It meant "Eat the food or I'm going to feed it to you and embarrass you further."

I took a few more bites of the sugary food on my plate until she smiled satisfied with the amount I ate.

"So Will, what are you going to school for?" Hazel asked.

We all cleaned up from breakfast and Will made coffee for us and tea for himself. "The medical field. I'm going to be a doctor someday," Will told her.

We sat outside to enjoy the "nice day." I hated it. It was too bright and I burned easily.

"Makes sense, you look like you could be a doctor," Hazel replied.

At first, I was going to ask her what she meant by that but I looked over at Will instead. Yeah, he did look like he could be a doctor more of your tv cliche looking type with sparkling blue eyes, tan skin, and a smile that could light the way through Hell.

I don't know why I thought that and decided to ignore it. "What do you do?" he asked Hazel. She smiled, "I just finished my first year to become a psychologist."

Ever since I knew Hazel she has always wanted to help people and get them on a better _path_ of life.

She was just that kind of person, to get up and say something if it meant helping others. She was the first to accept me for who I was no questions asked.

"Oh that's cool, what are you planning on specializing in?" Will asked. They both pretty much nerded out about everything anything to do with medical things. Hazel has to have some medical schooling and Will gave her pointers on how to write the perfect notes.

It involved a lot of neon colors and highlighters. "I'm going in to get some sunscreen," I state and go inside.

I will never understand how people who pretty much just met could talk like best friends. I can't even do that with my friends I've known for years.

I walked to the bathroom and grabbed the sunscreen.

Don't judge me, I burn easily and hate the feeling of being burnt. I layer on the SPF ninety and make sure it's all rubbed in before going outside again.

Hazel and Will were now on the topic of hiking; how do you get there in five minutes is beyond me. "I think it'd be cool to go camping at the campsite oh what was it called?" Hazel looked at me.

"Nico, you remember the camping trip dad forced us to go on because he wanted to impress Persephone?" I nodded.

Who forgets a camping trip from Hell?

Most everything went wrong. The car stopped working on our way there and then when we finally got there all me and my dad could do is fight.

"Yeah, I'd remember the time dad left me in a creek and I almost drowned. But at least I learned how to swim that day," I said bitterly, not really over that stupid trip.

"He _didn't_ know you couldn't swim," Hazel spoke softly.

"Wait your dad just left you in the creek to drown?" Will asked shocked.

"Yes," I said. Hazel shook her head, "Do you remember the name of the place or not?" I shook my head. "Nope, all I remember is it was off the highway near dads."

"It's really nice despite what my brother says. It's not crowded so it's like you're alone in your own world there," Hazel said clearly having better memories than I did of the place.

"We should go camping Neek's," Hazel said with stars in her eyes. Why was it when Hazel said something like that I just couldn't say no despite how badly I didn't want to go. She looked so happy I couldn't say no, not to those eyes.

"If I say yes, we are not staying long," I said. "Two weeks," Hazel said. "One at max," I said. There was no way I was going to spend two weeks in the fucking woods for what she said would be "fun".

"Fine one week. Will, you want to tag along?" she turned to the blond. "I wouldn't want to intrude," he said. I was disappointed, I kinda wanted him to go along at least then I won't be stuck with Hazel and Frank leaving me to be the _welcomed_ third wheel.

"Don't be silly, you're going. I'll check mine and Franks schedule and hopefully, we can pick a time after schools done for summer break?"

Will and I nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me," Will said in a slightly thicker country accent.

I can't believe Hazel just set us up to go camping like this.


	8. Will: Chapter VIII

I got up with the sun and went out to the kitchen. Nico had just got home and was making breakfast for me and dinner for himself. I started a pot of coffee for him since I could make that without burning anything.

I was not sure why he'd want coffee since he was just going to go to bed soon but he said to make enough for two-three cups. I did and made myself a cup of ginger tea mixed with lemon juice. It didn't taste that good but I got used to it. With all the junk I ate this was my way of doing something healthy, it's all about balance.

"Here," I handed Nico the cup of coffee. It was strong and would keep any normal person up for days. "Thanks," he yawned and drank some of the energy powered dirty bean water.

"Wow, this is pretty good," he noted. "It should be, I make coffee for a living, after all, dude." I was offended he didn't believe in my coffee making skills, but my track record wasn't the best.

He handed me a plate with two bullseye eggs on. I thanked him and sat to eat. For everyone who may not know what bull's eye eggs are, they are a piece of bread you cut out the middle in the shape of a circle, (usually with a cup) add butter then put an egg in the middle, frying it in the pan.

They have many different names but I normally just called them nested eggs or bullseye eggs. If you still have no idea what I'm talking about then just Google it.

I got dressed and ready for my friends Lou and Cecil to come over and study. I told Nico the night before just to make sure we weren't going to bother him. He said its fine and he had projects to work on so he'd be up anyways.

He was like a coffee-powered human I thought.

After a while, the doorbell rang and Lou walked in Cecil carrying their bags. "I said I'd help you with your bags not take them all," he complained.

She sighed. "So difficult to find good boyfriends anymore." I laughed at the two, they were like childhood friends who would fight like an old couple at times.

"We can study in here," I told them taking a seat at the living room coffee table. They sat down on opposite ends and we all got out notebooks and textbooks. We sat quietly reading over some chapters and making notes of the important stuff.

Cecil got bored and drew on his notes after twenty minutes. "You guys hear about Mr. Hay?" he said. "Mr. who?" I asked. I was pretty sure there was no one by that name at our school but I could have been mistaken.

"He means Chiron," Lou said not looking up from her textbook. "Same thing, he is half horse." Lou and I just made eye contact saying "why is he like this."

"I'm serious!" Cecil said. "He is not half horse you idiot," Lou said back.

"Explain the hay in his car? Or the bag of apples he has for lunch?"

"He could have the hay for a number of reasons and he's a vegan who loves apples. There, _dumbass,"_ Lou said. I couldn't help but laugh the way she said dumbass was like Paulette Bonafonté (the nail lady) from Legally Blonde.

"I have to agree with Lou, he's not a horse," I said. Cecil glared at us, "You two suck."

"Well not with that attitude," Lou said and went back to her books. Cecil blushed quite badly.

"Not a word, Will."

So instead I took a picture of him for blackmail.

Lou high fived me.

After an hour of studying- more like talking- they left and I got ready for work.

I had a short day and only had to stay for five hours. It wasn't busy so I read some of my books well the fun ones, not the school ones. I talked with Calypso who was adding fresh pastries to the display.

She even gave me one for free. It was a strawberry glazed croissant. No idea how she made it but it was delicious.

After work, I picked up somethings to make cookies. Now before I tell you all about how I almost burned the house down with purple cookies I'll tell you about a creepy cashier.

I walked into Walmart to buy the chocolate chips, I also needed a new white t-shirt and found a cute plant out in the garden part of the store. I walked up and sat my things down. Behind the cash register, there was an old lady maybe eighty-years-old or something.

She smiled and said hello and I did the same. All was normal she scanned my things and placed them into a bag. I paid and when she handed me my bag she said, "Never wander far in the _garden_."

After she said that she helped the next person. I walked back to my car and made a note never to come there again. The look in her eyes changed as she said that to me. I don't know what it meant or why she said it, but I didn't want to either.

I drove home and the sun was already starting to fade. I put away the things I got then went outside and replanted the plant. I couldn't help but send a picture to my sister Kayla.

 **Kayla:** _ **Aw so cute! Did you name it?**_

 **Will:** _ **No, just got it. Suggestions?**_

 **Kayla:** _ **Yes lots! But it looks like a StEve**_

I laughed but agreed it did look like a StEve so that's what I wrote on the side of the pot. I sat it out on the back porch and watered it. "There ya go, buddy."

I went back inside and looked up easy beginner cookie recipes. An hour later I found one that sounded pretty good. I got all the things I was going to need starting with the food ingredients then the boring bowls, spoons, and all that. I set everything I needed on the counter.

I looked at the recipe on my phone and measured out everything with perfection. I even followed the steps mentioned on the website. I don't have any idea of how it went downhill so fast. But at last, it did.

"What smells like it's burning?" Nico walked in with bed head and dark bags under his eyes. He looked like he just woke up from hibernation. "Nothing . . . cookies."

I sat the second tray of cookies on the stove. He walked over and looked at them then laughed. "Why the fuck are they purple?" he asked hitting one on the counter. They were burnt so bad they wouldn't break.

"I added food coloring to jazz them up a little," I said. "Here just let me make them."

Nico pushed me out of the kitchen and threw together a batch. I tried to convince him to add the purple food coloring but he said it was bad for you so he didn't add it.

Not even fifteen minutes later he had a perfect batch of cookies sitting on a cooling rack. "Do not touch them until they are cool so they will don't burn you."

Just like that, he walked back to his room leaving me with fresh cookies and a dirty kitchen. Gods was it tempting to take a cookie and eat it after all warm cookies were the best. But I told myself to clean up and my reward would be a cookie.

The quicker I moved the warmer the cookies would still be.

 _When life gives you motivation._

I quickly cleaned up and threw the cookies I made in the trash. I washed the dishes and wiped off the countertops.

When I was finished cleaning the kitchen I poured myself some milk and grabbed four cookies. I sat and watched "Modern Family" on tv and enjoyed the yummy cookies.

The cookies were perfect. They were warm and the chocolate chips were still melted. They mixed perfectly with a glass of cold milk.

Why does my roommate have to be _so_ good at baking? I questioned myself.

I'd have to go on a long run tomorrow if I wanted to work off the extra calories. The rest of the night was uneventful.

Nico later left for work and I took a bubble bath before heading off to bed. I got used to hearing the cars and the busy element of living in the city when I moved in with my mom.

Even in Texas, she lived in a busy side of the state and you could hear anything from cows mooing to the honks of vehicles. So when I moved into this house it was weird getting used to not having as much noise.

You could still hear the cars pass, just nothing like living in the more populated side of town. It was nice until you heard the house settle or the sound of an animal. If you were a paranoid person I don't think it would be the best to sleep in these conditions.

Nonetheless, I fell asleep in twenty minutes and didn't have any nightmares, luckily.


	9. Nico: Chapter IX

It was a long week of uneventful things. My sleeping schedule was worse than normal and I was awake for most of the week.

There was always something I hated about sleeping. One week I'd sleep like I hadn't in years and the next I was more awake then Will when I say "I made cookies."

I just wanted sleep, but it did not want me. I sighed and walked out of my dark room. It had to be around 20:00 because the sun was fading away. I knocked on Will's door to see what he wanted for dinner.

He opened the door with a grin. "Nico guess what we're doing tonight?"

I hated this game for two reasons: one it involved me, two he told me to guess. I hated things like that I mean what's the point I guess, get it wrong, then you tell me. Why not tell me in the first place?

"What?" I asked with a sigh.

"We are having a movie night!" he said simply.

"A what?" I asked. If we had to go anywhere it was a no deal for me.

"A movie night. We are going to watch a movie and eat junk food inside a fort."

I had a few questions but was unable to say anything before Will was on the phone ordering Chinese food. "I guess I'll get the blankets." I walked off to the laundry room where I had a few extra blankets.

I started to set up the fort in the living room. Hazel and I used to make forts and pretend it was a magical kingdom, of course, this was when we were younger. It was something we'd do if our dad worked late and we weren't going to sleep early.

"Woah, this looks great Nico!" Will said walking up to the side. I put some blankets over the tv and moved the couch closer to help hold up the blankets better.

"Go get some pillows," I told him.

I got some chairs from the dining room table and put them on the sides. I also got a string of fairy lights from underneath the tv stand. I set them up because what's a movie fort without fairy lights?

Once Will got back I set up the pillows and he set up the movie. The doorbell rang and I got out to answer it. I got the food and paid the girl who delivered it.

"Foods here," I told Will. I got some silverware and sat back in the fort.

"Awesome!" Will said getting comfortable. He sorted out the food and sat back.

"So what movie are we watching anyway?"

"Perfect Sisters. It's actually based off a true story," Will said excitedly.

I never heard of it before, but turned off the lights in the rest of the house only letting the small fairy lights shine inside the fort.

Will hit play on the tv and we started eating our dinner. I wasn't much for Chinese food, but it wasn't bad this time I'll say that.

The movie so far was surprisingly good. It was about these two sisters dealing with there problematic mother. They had a half-brother and he was always talking about his dad that just wasn't there.

They were kinda opposites with one being the obvious popular kinda slutty (the way she dressed anyway) look, and the other being the introverted emo. You can imagine which I thought looked cool.

Anyway, the mom got a boyfriend who was a dick and was abusive. He even made a move on the emo sister, Beth.

I'm not going to say much more of what happened other then, they plan to kill their mother because they knew they would get to live with their aunt, who had a nice house and would take care of them.

I don't want to give out any more spoilers. I watched the movie until the end. They had a true story thing there saying what happened to the actual people and how their lives were in the current day. Even though some bad things happen they still managed to turn their lives around.

I looked over to Will and he was crying which in return made me shed a few tears. I'm not sure if they were happy or sad, or just sleep deprived. Either way, when the movie rolled the credits we were both somehow sobbing.

It wasn't pretty. We didn't make eye contact and didn't speak about it either.

Will turned on the regular tv shows and it landed on one of his favorites, "Jersey Shore" of course. I groaned and got up taking all the trash with me. Once I did that Will helped me take down the fort.

I figured I'd stay and watch the show with him, knowing well enough I wasn't going to get sleep anyway.

He didn't change the channel even after the few lame threats I gave him. He didn't want to miss out on and I quote "Ttt-shirrrt tiimmme!" when someone yells something like that to you it's memorable.

I didn't see the point in shows like that because you could clearly tell they wanted drama.

Drama is the way shows like that get views and without it, no one or at least not many would watch it. Having said that I also respect people enough that if they like the show I'm not going to put them down for it.

We folded the blankets and put the pillows back. I ended up calling it a night after twenty minutes of Will yelling at the show as if they could hear him. I quickly got a shower before heading off to my room. I turned on my ceiling fan and got into my soft bed.

For once I felt like I could get a good night sleep being truly comfortable, that is, if I were only tired.

I took the medication my doctor gave for nights like this. It was something I hated to do, I hated any and all drugs but I wanted to sleep more. After ten minutes I felt sleepy and before I knew it I was out like a light.

It wasn't peaceful. I only had nightmare after nightmare, but for some reason, I kept going back to sleep.

You know when you're really tired and you go to sleep but wake up a few minutes later because you were too hot or had a night terror?

Well, that's how I felt but instead of getting up I closed my eyes going right back into the damn dream.


	10. Will: Chapter X

I rushed into work kinda late by a few minutes. I clocked in and threw on a purple apron walking out to the front of the cafe.

"William Solace, late? Wha- who's the occasion?" Piper asked.

She and I didn't work together often but when we did it was usually pretty fun.

"I know, I stayed up too late watching tv and didn't realize the time," I said complaining at my own stupidity and ignoring her comment. I knew I had to be up extra early because today I had the 4:00 AM shift.

I was worried about my last exam all morning almost burning myself with very hot coffee . . . twice. I didn't like exams- though I don't think anyone does- it's just when it comes to the last one I loth them. It's always the most difficult to pass in my opinion.

I worked hard for my grades and had a passion for what I was learning but for fuck sake do not give me a question with five of the same answers on it.

It's almost like all the questions you have to decode or something, I mean that'd be fine if I were in a computer class but I'm not.

"Dude you are out of it today," Piper said, finishing her last order. The morning rush was over and we had a little time to clean up the shop and what not.

"I know," I grumbled.

"Yeah, no moping around mister. You have one more exam left and you're done for this year. Man up!" Piper said somewhat dramatically and it was hard for me to take her seriously.

"Fine, I'll just push the exam to the back of my head till its too late to ignore. Better?" I asked.

She nodded and I walked off to clean off the tables. After a few minutes, I swept the floors and the place was as good as new if I do say so myself.

The door opened and three people walked in. "Hey, guys," Piper said happily as she knew them. I knew the girl, her name was Reyna and she was there when I first looked through the house.

The other two I didn't know though the one guy with a purple shirt looked familiar. I shrugged and walked over behind the counter to help make their drinks or whatever they ended up ordering.

"Will meet some cool peeps, this is Reyna, Percy, and Frank," Piper said pointing to each person when she said their names. "Guys, this is Will," she said patting my head which was difficult because I was taller than her.

"Hey nice to see you again, how's it going living with Nico?" Reyna asked with a smirk. I didn't know why and did not want to ask. Before I could answer the guy named Frank said: "Wait you're the one living with Nico?"

I nodded, "Why?" he shook his head and the other guy Percy said something this time. "Oh he's only scared of Nico because he's dating his sister," Percy said laughing.

"I'm not scared of him," Frank said in response.

"Oh you're Hazel's boyfriend," I stated out loud.

I was kinda shocked honestly, they didn't look like they'd be a couple, he was twice as tall as her but at the same time, their differences might be what made them cute.

"Yeah they have it bad for each other," Reyna said rolling her eyes. We talked for a few minutes then they ordered their drinks. I helped Piper make them and for some reason, Percy wanted his caramel frappuccino "bright ass blue."

I cleaned the blenders after making the drinks and Piper and I said bye to them. "They seem nice," I told her happily.

"Yeah they are, the longer you know them the weirder they get, man."

I laughed at that comment.

I could see what she meant by it though. I sat outside for lunch enjoying a grilled panini on a picnic table.

Outback of the cafe there was a small garden and a picnic table up against the brick building. Most people came out here to smoke, enjoy the view, or eat. It was fenced in so you could only get out there by going out the back door of the shop.

It was like a private paradise. Calypso always made sure the plants were watered perfectly. There was not a single weed in sight only vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers (edible of course).

My mom would have loved it here because she liked to garden in her free time. I remember helping her pull weeds and then see a snake and run away. She on the other hand simply picked the snake up and took it away somewhere else so it wouldn't bother us. I didn't understand how people can be so calm with things like that.

I brushed the thoughts away and finished up my lunch break before heading back inside and working again.

It was always busy at this time and not that I minded the people or even the rushing around aspect of this job it was just annoying when things were busy as you could imagine.

A few hours had passed and everyone had left the cafe. Piper and I closed up the shop at eight or at least till the next people came by in an hour or so. I set the chairs on the tables and cleaned the floors then cleaned the counters.

Piper was washing the dishes and restocking the new things for the people who worked after us.

We remained quiet while we worked my mind too focused on the exam I had yet to study for. I closed the curtains after I finished washing the windows.

"Ready Pipes?" I called. Within a few minutes she finished up and we clocked out and left locking the doors behind us.

"Good luck to you ya on your exam," Piper said before getting into her car and driving off.

I tiredly got into my truck and drove home. I ate the dinner Nico left for me in the oven. Some form of lasagna but mixed up with different flavors. It was garlicky and cheesy so it was delicious of course.

After an hour of procrastinating and winding down from work, I got my books and notes ready to study for thankfully my last exam for this year. I couldn't wait till this was over and I didn't have to worry about it anymore.

"What does that even mean?" I asked myself looking blankly at the textbook.

I hadn't even been here for more than four minutes and I was so confused. How was I going to become a doctor if I couldn't even remember the names of the arteries in the heart?

I must have been there for a few hours because the next thing I knew Nico was standing next to me.

"What the shit-biscuits? When did you get there?" I asked clearly not noticing him. It was like he appeared out of the shadows.

"A few minutes ago." I shake my head and looked confusingly down at my book. "How long have you been working on this?" he asked sitting down on the chair beside me. He was eating a pomegranate, which I had no idea where he got.

"A few min- wait what time is it?" I asked not remembering. "Three," Nico said as if it were obvious. "How I-I just sat down?" I was seriously losing my mind at this point.

"You look like you're almost done. Need any help?" Nico asked finishing the pomegranate.

"Well if you could help me remember anything to do with the heart that would be great. For some reason, I can't remember anything."

He rolled his eyes at me, "It's easy. What part are we talking about?" he asked. I thought he was joking about the help, but no.

"The names of the arteries," I said.

"Okay, easy. There are eight arteries which are called?" he pointed to a spot on the page with an image of the heart.

"Aorta," I said surprised I finally remembered something.

"Yep, then this one is the posterior interventricular artery also known as?" I thought for a minute before I spoke, "PIV," I said confidently. He nodded and we finished up the chapter in twenty minutes.

"See you knew the stuff. You're just working too hard on trying to remember it," Nico said. I was surprised that I didn't remember it before he had sat down I couldn't get any of it. He made it easier to remember and I didn't know why.

"Thanks," I muttered as I cleaned my stuff off the dinner table. "No problem," Nico said and walked off to his room. I washed the dishes that were left over for dinner and went and got a quick shower.

I felt so much better not only was I clean and smelled of oranges, but I finished my studying. I was happy, to say the least. I got into bed and set my alarms and drifted off to sleep.


	11. Nico: Chapter XI

I don't know how it happened again, but it did. It was worse this time because Will was drunk. I somehow agreed to go to an end of finals party. It was basically there for all the students to say a big "fuck you" to all the exams and end of year assignments they were put through.

Reyna texted me asking if Will and I would go to the party, so I stupidly asked him if he wanted to go.

"Really Neeks? This would be great Cecil texted me earlier asking me the same thing. We could all go together!"

He seemed happy to go and he was studying really hard the last few weeks so I told Reyna yes. When we got there it was similar to the last party I was at.

Old house, crowds of people drinking, and loud music blaring from speakers somewhere in the house.

I was kinda surprised none of the neighboring houses or buildings for that matter didn't call the cops for a noise complaint.

Reyna met up with Thalia of course and Will talked to his friend Lou about trying to find Cecil.

"Just because I'm his girlfriend does not mean I know where the hell he is all the time," Lou yelled to Will but I overheard the conversation. I wasn't eavesdropping or anything they were just yelling and I was close enough to hear it.

"We should try and find him before he steals anything . . . again," Will yelled back at Lou. "Nope, that fucker can go to jail for all I care."

I couldn't help but laugh at her comment, it sounded like something I would say. Will sighed and let go of the topic.

Unlike the last party, I knew a few people here. Not many, but just enough to feel not completely alone. Though it's not like they really talked to me for long, if at all. They more or less said hi and walked to talk to their real friends.

I, as you can guess, wasn't one to make the first move to talk with someone. Growing up it was more of an anxiety of mine and now I just didn't care.

 _If you can't say hi to me you're not worth my time,_ I thought to myself.

I finished my drink (coke again) and threw it somewhere in the kitchen. It didn't matter where, people who threw these parties were animals anyway so it's not like it made a difference. I pushed my way through the exit door and out into the coldish night.

Normal people wouldn't think it was cold but in all honesty, I got cold easy and anything under sixty (fifteen Celsius) was cold to me.

It could be the fact I'm slightly underweight or just bad genetics, probably both. I could hide the fact I was underweight by wearing the baggy clothes I had, like in the colder seasons I would wear my favorite aviator jacket over a sweatshirt. However, in the summer it was a little more difficult to hide.

I knew if it got any worse Hazel would make me weigh myself weekly with her supervision because she would not trust me to tell her the truth.

I don't mean to not eat it just kinda happened when I never slept. I love food don't get me wrong it's just difficult to eat sometimes. I also forget to eat a lot. I told Hazel that once and two years later she still texted me reminders to eat.

I managed to find a good tree and climbed into, not high but to a comfortable branch. I lit a cigarette and just watched the leaves sway. I needed to get out of there. It was just too many people for me to deal with.

I thought about what I was going to do after school. I was graduating this year and it scared me to think of the thought _what now._ I would hopefully be able to find a job within the area. I did not want to move again and I wanted to stay close to Hazel. I needed her and I hoped she still needed me a little bit.

I took the last few drags out of my cigarette and jumped out of the tree. It hurt my leg but nothing more than a numb feeling after I walked back into the house. I luckily found Reyna and this time she was not sucking faces with her girlfriend.

"Nico, where the crap were you?" I shrugged in response.

"So verbal," she comments. "Your roommate is getting wrecked," she laughed half drunk herself. "He was singing," Thalia adds. I walked off to see if I could watch Will embarrass himself.

Soon enough I walked into the room and an arm goes around my shoulder. I was going to elbow them in the stomach when I realized it was Will. He reeked of alcohol and was only talking in drunken slurs.

"Neko!" he shouted. I would have asked him if I looked like a cat but knew in his state it would have been useless. "You smell get off of me," I said trying to get out of his grip but it was no use.

"Nooope can't go, Nico," he said slurring his words yet again. I hated dealing with drunk people. Whether they were mean or nice when drunk it was still annoying for one of the only sober people there.

"Why is that?" I asked biting my tongue. I was not going to be a dick, after all, I had to live with the guy and knowing him, he would forget everything except how I yelled at him. "Because you have a cute ass. I can't let someone else- wait what I love this song!"

Before I could process what he said or get away from him. He pulled me into a dance to a song I didn't know. The beat was nice but like most modern songs the lyrics sucked.

Did he really just say I had a _nice ass_? I asked myself as he pulled on my arms. I suddenly felt my face turn red. I did my best to just shake it off, he meant nothing by it. He's probably just drunk and messed up his words. Even if part of me wanted him to mean the words.

Hey, in my defense he was a hot dude and blond, which were my type for some reason. I looked around but his friends were nowhere to be found. "I guess I'm stuck with you," I muttered. I tried to think of a way to get him to leave.

There was no way I was going to babysit a twenty-something year old. "Will," I yelled wishing I didn't. He immediately looked in my direction, his blue eyes in direct contact with my onyx ones. I don't think I ever noticed just how blue his eyes were and just how bright they were.

"W-we need to go back home," I stuttered but pulled him by his wrist. He walked along with me only stopping to say hi to someone I had no idea if he even knew or was just talking to strangers.

When we stopped I felt his eyes on me or rather my butt. "Will, my eyes are up here," I told him rolling my eyes. "Right, right, eyes got it."

Thalia and Reyna walked over to me both grinning. "Looks like you got yourself a boyfriend there Neeks," Reyna said smugly. Will only nodded to what she said.

Which didn't help.

"I'm going to take him home. Are you two okay to drive?" I asked hoping they'd say yes. "I am she's definitely not," Thalia said. "No worries, go get your boyfriend home," she grinned then winked at me.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I asked. She shook her head no of course. "Thought so."

I pulled Will out of the house with force because all he did was talk to people. Even drunk he was more social than me in all my years put together. "Get into the car."

"Only if you give me your number," he said with a smirk. "I will if you get into the car," I said once again keeping my comments to myself. _We live together and I know you already have my number._

After ten minutes and me agreeing to a date he got into the car. Part of me really just wanted to leave him there, but the right things in life are always the most difficult.

I drove slowly just going the speed limit. That was difficult to do in a Mustang, I barely even touched the gas pedal the whole drive back.

Luckily when we got home he was winding down and listened to what I said. I pulled into the garage and helped him into the house. I hanged my keys up and asked for his. "You'll have to get them if you want them, haha."

I hit him. I'm not proud of doing it but it had to be done. If I could go back in time fuck yes I'd do it again.

I grabbed a bag from under the sink and helped him to his room. "Sit," I told him pointing to the bed. "And no jokes."

I pulled his shoes off and took his jeans off. Thank the gods he had underwear on. "The bag is if you feel sick and are going to throw up, understand?"

He nodded and passed out on his bed. I pulled the covers up and made sure he was on his side just in case he threw up in his sleep or something. I put the bag near him and walked out of his room shutting the door behind me.

I looked through his pockets and hung up the keys and set his phone on the kitchen counter. "Might as well do some laundry."

I did just that. I took what was in the washer and put it into the dryer and folded what was in the dryer. Very interesting as always.

After I put all of my stuff away I walked to my room and got changed into comfy clothes. I was too tired to get a shower so I just got into bed.

I turned my tv on and got under the covers. It was nice to be in bed my legs and feet hurt and it was just nice. I don't know house to describe it. You know the feeling you get when you get into bed after a long day and it's just like heaven.

I put on a random channel and tried to get comfortable. The only way I could get a good (or my definition of a good) night's sleep was to turn my tv on. In the past and sometimes current time I had sleep paralysis.

It was a shitty thing to have to live with. Even knowing you have it and knowing what's happening doesn't help. You still can't move and you know you can't call for help no matter how much you want to.

The old hag is one that is common to see for me and of course is the worst one for me.

For me, the old hag looks like a dark figure until she gets closer than you see her hateful eyes and sagging skin. She looked like an old version of my mother. I did my best to not think about it and just go to bed but instead, she woke me up as she normally did.

After maybe two hours of sleep, I gave up and started reading until a ray of light entered my dark room.


	12. Will: Chapter XII

I groaned at the sound of my loud alarm going off. My head felt like it was going to explode at the noise.

I didn't remember anything from last night and was surprised to find myself in my room. I got up and shut the alarm off.

It helped my head some with the annoying sound now vanishing but with me getting up the blood rushed to my head and I was dizzy.

It was a lot like being a kid on a merry go round with that one person that feels the need to keep spinning till you throw up, thanks, grandma.

I caught my balance and walked to get an ice cold shower.

I knew it was going to be the only thing to wake me at this point. I cursed myself for drinking that much last night anyway. I'm not much of a drinker but just felt like having fun and letting loose.

It failed.

What's the point of having a good time if you can't even remember what you did?

I was welcomed with the beautiful yellow walls and the morning sun shining in through the bathroom window. I turned the shower to the coldest temperature and quickly got undressed. "Now or never," I yawned.

I walked into the freezing shower. Immediately I was awake, the cold water took my breath away and I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. My head felt like someone was hitting it with a jackhammer as I scrubbed shampoo through it.

I really wanted to just say "fuck it" and not go to work today. I rinsed off and got out of the shower. The few minutes of being in there felt like hours and none of them good. My breathing was finally getting back to somewhat normal.

I got dressed and was in the kitchen looking for Advil within two minutes. I found nothing but a drink in the microwave with a note.

"Will, drink this. It's caffè corretto, it will help with the hangover."

It looked like an espresso but smelled weird. I was too late to question it so I downed it instead. It tasted like it had herbs in it or something, but wasn't as bad as I thought.

I grabbed my keys and drove to work. Something I was really not wanting to do today. It was Leo and I today and he was loud and talked a lot. Normally I wouldn't care, but my head hurt so I was a bit irritable.

"Woah man, what happened to you?" Leo asked when I walked in. Just the response you want to hear when walking into work.

"Went to a party to celebrate finishing finals," I said putting on my purple apron and hat.

"Haha, a little hungover amigo?"

For the first hour I worked in the back mainly washing dishes and that kind of stuff, then when my head felt better I helped out in the front. I made coffees, handed out food, and cleaned up the tables. It was the routine I was used to doing and was able to do without even thinking about it anymore.

It was funny how I turned into the kind of guy who knows over a hundred different ways to make coffee and the stupid names they are called. I don't know if I should have felt proud I could learn them all or weirded out by the fact that, that's the trivia I knew.

At about eleven in the morning, a guy with messy black hair and dark brown eyes walked into the shop. He wore is resting bitch face and black clothing as normal. It was kinda funny to look at Nico and then hear him talk. It was like two different people, I also had a theory that the longer you knew him the cuter he got.

I shook my head of my thoughts and welcomed him into the shop.

Leo was off on a break or rather picking the strawberries in the back garden because he forgot and Calypso was going to be here at lunch.

"What can I get ya?" I asked Nico.

"Death with sixteen sugars," he said. I was going to say how he wouldn't let me buy sweets yet he drank coffee with three shots of espresso and sixteen sugars, really?

I just made the coffee as he said. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Better, whatever was in that drink helped a lot."

I handed him his coffee. "No worries, on the house," I smiled.

He thanked me and we talked for a little. The cafe was not really busy only two or three other people inside.

"So do you remember anything about last night?" he said as if he hated to ask that question.

"No, not really. I don't even remember leaving," I admitted. His expression changed from nervous to relieved and I couldn't help but wonder what the Hell happened last night.

Did I say or do something stupid? What if I told Nico he was cute or even worse made a move on him.

He seemed fine with my answer so I did my best to push the thoughts aside. His phone buzzed and his face was a mix of a frown and smile.

"Can I also get something to eat?" he said clearly forcing the words.

"Sure thing, whatcha in the mood for?" I asked him with my signature cheerful smile. He looked at the pastries behind the glass, "You didn't make any of these, right?" he asked with what I swear to be a smirk. He was mocking me at this point.

"Nope, I only put them in here and made them look pretty."

"Good, in that case, I'll have whatever the fuck that thing is." He pointed to a blueberry danish. I got the dessert and handed over to him. Once again I paid for it, it was the least I could do after gods know what I did last night.

He took a picture of him taking a bite of it to which I laughed. "Shut up, if I don't send Hazel proof I'm eating she will track me down."

I knew Hazel cared a lot for her brother so this wasn't much of a shock, plus Nico seemed like the type to say he eat then forget for a week or something.

"Thanks for the stuff Solace," he said walking out of the cafe door.

I will admit I might have been watching him, unaware Leo had now walked back inside.

"So that's your roomie?" he asked from behind me. I jumped and did my best to act cool. "Yep, he is."

The rest of the work shift was uneventful except Calypso throwing a strawberry at Leo, that was pretty funny.

I got home and watched some tv before Nico got back. It was so nice not having to come home and study. I loved summer break and not having to worry about my grades for once. There wasn't much on so I just turned on Netflix flipping through the shows.

Nico got home early today for a change, something about switching a shift with someone. "Don't you have to get going to your mom's or something?" he asked looking at the time. He was right. I was going to be late again and my mom hated when I was late.

"Right, thanks." I got up and rushed to clean up my look after work. When I walked back out to the kitchen Nico was reading a book at the countered. Before I could register what I said I had spoken.

"Come on Nico, you're going too. I don't need Hazel tracking me down because you didn't have dinner."

I don't know why I asked him or even why he agreed but before I knew it we were in my truck driving to my mom's house.

I texted my mom before leaving to ask and make sure it was alright for him to tag along. She texted back within seconds saying it was all good.

My anxiety was high because I never really brought people home before. I mean even Lou and Cecil have only been in my old house a handful of times. It was my stepfather who I didn't want them to meet.

He never liked my friends and the only time I brought a girlfriend over did not end well. I think he'd shit if I had a boyfriend and brought him along.

Actually, it would be kinda funny to see his reaction. Pretty much everyone knew I was bi so I don't really care about that, but my stepfather just wasn't that approving.

I clear my head before walking into the familiar house. There were sounds of some sports game on the tv and soft country music from the kitchen. I took my shoes off at the door telling Nico to do the same.

He followed me to the kitchen and we greeted my mom. She hugged us both and told Nico: "Make yourself at home. If you need anything William will get you it."

I hated when she said that but also the look on Nico's face made me laugh. He smiled, which was an unusual sight for him.

"Good to know," he said.

They then talked about cooking, my mom was surprised to hear how much he knew. When she realized he was Italian that's when they really went on about food.

I just listened hungrily.

Nico was also introduced to Jessica and Lila my two step-sisters. They seemed to like him and Lila had him sit next to her. I was hoping for him to say no but he agreed. I was not above glaring at a child.

My stepfather was in a pretty good mood and left Nico alone so I was glad not having to hear the very, very opinionated man talk. "I don't like carrots," Lila said pushing them aside. "Lila, if you don't eat at least three bites you're not getting dessert," my mom warned.

Which to us was like being hit with a belt.

My mom always made the best desserts ever, and no I'm not saying that because she is my mom and would kill me if I said otherwise.

"But mom, Will didn't eat them either." suddenly all eyes on my plate and the untouched carrots. I cursed under my breath. Nico grinned knowing just how much I disliked "healthy" foods. "William you are twenty-two years old eat your vegetables."

"But mo-" she cut me off. "You will not get dessert if you do not eat the carrots." Nico at this point was laughing at me.

"Oh, shut up," I told him.

My mom kicked me in the shins. "You don't talk to the guests like that, apologize."

I said a not at all sincere apology to Nico and force fed myself carrots. All that was in my head was me saying how lava cake was worth it. When Lila and I finished the cursed carrots the dessert was brought out.

My stepfather ate his in the living room so he could finish the game. I was relieved to see him leave, there was just something about him that made me uneasy.

"This is really good!" Nico said to my mom.

"Thank you, it's a new recipe I was trying out."

It was like heaven on a plate basically.

The warm chocolate ran out of the red velvet like a brownie cake. I have no words to explain just how good it was.

"Oh, Will your father called today," she seemed happy about this which it could only mean one of two things. One, he was dead or two, my sister Kayla was coming to visit.

"Is it Kayla?!" I asked with chocolate on my face.

Jessica, Lila, and Nico all laughed till I realized it was there. My mom nodded excitedly, "Yes, your sister is coming to town."

I was excited to see Kayla again. She was my best friend and was just fun to be around. She lived with my dad for the most part because we all agreed he should not be left alone. Normally when she visits Austin my brother (my father's side) would watch him.

Our dad just got into trouble when he was left unsupervised. I mean how else do you think me and my siblings got here?

Nico and I agreed that night that Kayla could stay at our house so I could see her more. It was going to be awesome.


	13. Nico: Chapter XIII

The cool evening air hit my face as I ran. The thud of my shoes to the paved trail and the pounding of my heart were all I could hear.

Hazel wanted to get up at six in the morning to run with me, I somehow talked her out of that time thank gods. It was around eight in the evening and the sun was fading away and the moon replacing it.

I didn't really like to run or do any physical exercise for that matter. I was never good at it, not because of my endurance or physical health but because I found it boring or irritating. Some people ran to clear their mind and to help with anger issues.

I just got more irritated.

I will say the thought of spending time with Hazel was nice, with school and work taking much of our time away we hadn't gotten to see each other all that often. I looked at the few trees in the park, all bright green even in the fading evening.

The park was more for runners/joggers because of the paved and marked paths along the area.

There was, however, a swing set and a very small playground at the end, far enough you wouldn't see it and not have very many kids mess with you.

We had probably ran two miles and I wanted to go home. I was cold even if I had sweat pouring off of me. My breathing was out of whack and I wanted nothing more than my warm comfy bed.

"One more mile, Nico! We will stop after that," Hazel said as she ran past me. I glared at the ground before running to catch up with my sister. I will never understand why people enjoyed things like this.

By the time we finished the last mile, the sun was gone completely leaving the summer night with a cool breeze.

I was tempted to smoke as Hazel and I cooled down by the swings, but I knew Hazel didn't like that habit of mine.

"So Will's sister is visiting tomorrow. Well, we go to get her from the airport but she's staying for a week or something," I said kicking at the ground.

"Really?! That's awesome, Neek's. If she's anything like Will, I bet she's going to be great."

I nod at her comment then the thought of Will entered my mind.

The other night when he was drunk he acted weird and I couldn't help but think of that night over and over. I didn't know if he remembered any of it but if he did he never really mentioned it. As much as I wanted to get the thoughts out of my head I couldn't and it was pissing me off.

"Hey, what if she went camping with us? I think Frank invited Percy and Annabeth, then whoever you want to invite. The more the better."

I thought for a minute only thinking of maybe Reyna then I remembered Piper was friends with Will and basically everyone who went to the coffee shop. "What about Reyna and Piper? I have to text them but I know Reyna isn't doing anything that she can't reschedule," I said.

I knew Reyna would say yes to going one because I asked and two because she liked the outdoors a lot.

"Sure!" Hazel smiled over at me and I couldn't help but smile back. "I like when your in this mood," she said looking up at the starry night.

I agreed. I knew I was a moody person, to begin with, but most of the time I just got bored and start thinking of the past. I went to therapy as a teenager but it didn't help. They just wanted to give me pills to help stop the hurting, all they did was make me numb.

It's no lie that I haven't been the same since Bianca's death, but lately, I have been feeling better.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Hazel pushed me off the swing and yelled: "Race you back to your house!"

It took me a minute to get untangled with the swing and run after her. I could hear her laughing at my struggle and at the fact she was way ahead of me. "That was a low move!" I yelled out.

I could see my house in the distance, lights on in the living room and the porch lights left on.

Hazel of course won and was waiting for me on the steps of the small porch. I was tired and not looking where I was going when I stumbled on the driveway.

I literally tripped over nothing.

My arms caught my fall but I didn't want to get up so I just laid there on my stomach. "Nico, are you okay?!" Hazel rushed over to me.

I didn't answer her not because I was being rude but you ever get the feeling where you are so tired you just can't figure out how to talk.

I heard the door open then shut when I noticed Hazel was no longer at my side. Not thinking much of it I closed my eyes until I heard the door again. I saw a mess of blond walked over to me and with a swoop, I was being taken into the house.

"Put me down!" I hit the back of Will. He had fucking picked me up over his shoulder, did I weigh nothing to him? I then noticed just how close to his ass I was and the embarrassment rushed over me.

He set me on the couch with a laugh. I did my best to turn off any of my emotions not wanting to blush or make myself look even worse.

"Nico your arm," Hazel said with a frown. She then apologized about pushing be and racing me here to which I pushed off and told her it wasn't her fault I fell over the air.

I slide out the back while she and Will talked and grabbed some stuff for my arm. Before I opened the door I grabbed a pack of Marlboros off the counter.

I was thankful to see the lighter in the small red and white box. With my luck I took a drag and they found me.

"Nico di Angelo, what do you think you are doing?" Hazel asked in a stern motherly voice.

"Nothing. . ." the glow of the cigarette didn't help my case. Will walked out with some cleaner for my arm.

"I thought you told me you quit," Hazel sighed and sat beside me on the bench.

I only half heard her, most of my attention was on Will. His hands were so warm on my arm, and his touch so gentle I had to do a double take.

"Hello, Nico?" Hazel said waving a hand in my face. "Huh?" I said taking a drag careful not to blow any of the smoke in either of their faces.

"I said I thought you stopped smoking," Hazel repeated.

"I don't think he did," Will chuckled. I wasn't sure what to say but knew she deserved an answer. "I did . . . for three days."

It wasn't a total lie. I stopped for three days and intended to stop, but figured it was a better anger reliever than the ones in my past.

She sighed in disappointment but she didn't push me on the topic and neither did Will. He finished up my arm and I was cold again.

We went back into the house and Hazel and Will talked about camping. "I think Kayla would love to go camping. It will be really fun. Mind if I invite Lou and Cecil?" Will asked.

I shrugged, "Fine with me."

Hazel nodded, "Of course they can come along. Does Tuesday still work? Then we stay till Sunday?"

"Yep, I'm good with work. Kayla will be fine with it too and if not too bad."

The rest of the night was pretty laid back. We watched a movie then Frank picked up Hazel and I went to sleep on the couch.


	14. Will: Chapter XIV

I jumped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen to make Nico some coffee. I knew that was the only way I could get him up at this hour.

Today was the day we were going to pick up my sister from the airport, to say I was excited was an understatement. I hadn't seen her in a long time and we always had so much fun together. Austin our brother, agreed to watch Apollo while Kayla visited.

Like clockwork, the smell of coffee alone woke the sleeping Nico. "Mornin' darlin'," I greeted him with a smile. He said nothing as normal, he wasn't much for talking in the mornings and definitely not before coffee.

I watched him down the cup and his mood slowly change. "Now that you're awake, go get a shower and meet me in the truck in ten minutes."

I walked off to get ready myself, man I was so excited to see my sister again. I shut my door and got dressed in a pair of floral shorts, a green t-shirt that matched the colors of the leaves on my shorts, and a pair of yellow converse.

I walked out of my door and heard a loud thud from the bathroom and Nico walked out with nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist.

It took a lot for me not to stare at him, but my gods did he look good without a shirt. I looked at his chest with a blush. He had his nipples pierced with two silver barbells and I couldn't stop staring.

"What was that sound?" I asked him before he went to his room. "I dropped my towel."

I looked at him even more confused. "That sound was a lot louder than a towel."

"I was still in it," he muttered before walking off. I didn't question him farther and walked out to the garage. I waited a few minutes until Nico got into my truck. His hair was still wet from the shower and was in every direction, but it kinda looked cute on him.

I drove off to the airport Kayla said she'd be at. "You made a wrong turn, you're supposed to go left," Nico said as I turned right.

"You couldn't have told me this before I turned?" I questioned.

He shook his head. "Nope."

I rolled my eyes and turned around in a parking lot which took forever to get out of, drivers in New York were serious assholes when it came to driving.

When we got to the airport I got lost at least two times before Nico told me the way. Did he know where to go the whole time?

While we waited for the people to come out I wrote Kayla's name on a sheet of paper. I liked to be extra.

"You are seriously doing that?" Nico raised a brow at the paper.

"Yes I am, why?"

"You're such a dork you know," he chuckled. I laughed knowing he was right. Just then I saw a flash of orange and green hair in my direction.

Kayla had tackled me into a hug, my family and I are huggers. "William!" Kayla yelled in my ear making me momentarily def.

Once she pulled away I got off the ground, no thanks to her.

"You must be Nico," she said, shaking his hand. Then she turned to me and I swear I saw her wink.

"I'm Kayla, Will's favorite sister from a different mister," she laughed at the joke.

Fact about my sister Kayla, she actually had two dads. "Nice to finally meet you. He hasn't shut up about your visit," Nico shook her hand but she ended up pulling him into a hug.

"Kayla get off he doesn't like hugs," I laughed at the sight. Nico didn't hug back, he just stood there looking uncomfortable.

"Sorry just a habit!" she said before letting go and throwing her bags to me. "Let's get out of here, I'm starving."

She walked off and I dragged her bags with me, I don't know what she packed but it felt like a bunch of bricks.

"You need some help there?" Nico asked. I nod as I was just about to drop one of the three bags.

He laughed and took one of the bags from me. "What the Hell did she bring with her?" he asked. "I have no idea dude, bricks?"

We made it back to the truck and Kayla was waiting for me to unlock the doors. I awkwardly struggled to get the key to unlock them. Nico reached over and quickly got the key out of my pocket.

"Thanks," I said feeling like my face was turning a shade of pink for some reason.

"I burn easily and didn't want to be here all day," he stated and walked to the passenger side.

I heard Kayla giggle when she got into the back of the blue Ford truck. She pulled in her bags and started playing her music as she sang along. Nico didn't sing but every once in a while I'd hear him hum the song under his breath.

"Requests?!" Kayla yelled once that song ended. Nico took the phone and typed something in and the song started to play.

The song was rock or something, I didn't know it.

Kayla grinned. "Yes, I love this song!" It wasn't bad at all it seemed kinda nice till Kayla started yelling along with the song. It had a good beat to it.

Nico still didn't sing but Kayla did or yelled all the words that is.

 _"The_ _games_ _I_ _had_ _to_ _play_.

 _The_ _Hell_ _I_ _had_ _to_ _pay_.

 _Everything_ _comes_ _with_ _a_ _price!"_

 _ **A/N: (The song is "Hell to Pay" by Five Finger Death Punch).**_

You get the point.

I laughed at her as she tried to get Nico to sing, but he didn't.

When we got home I set Kayla's stuff in the living room. She said she'd just sleep on the couch if we were going camping tomorrow anyway.

"When is food time?" Kayla asked like she hadn't been fed in years.

"When my sister and her boyfriend show up," Nico said. "You can get something from the kitchen though," he added.

Kayla smiled and ran into the kitchen looking through everything before picking what she wanted. As she raided the kitchen I sat next to Nico on the couch, he was looking for something to watch.

Kayla flopped down with a bowl of popcorn and chocolate animal crackers. "You know, you two would make a cute couple," she said casually.

I nearly choked on air when she said that and I turn to glare at her. "Stop the glaring bro I'm just saying the truth."

I slowly turn to see Nico's reaction, he seemed to be just laughing it off.

"I mean I do like blondes," he joked.

I don't really know what I felt. I did like him but knew with me living here it could be awkward if we dated and if something happened. I mean I really don't need to go back to living with one of my parents again.

Just in time, the doorbell rang and I thanked the gods for getting me out of the awkward conversation. "Hi, Will. You guys ready to go on the picnic?" Hazel said with a warm smile on her face.

"Yep let me get my sunglasses," I walked to the counter and grabbed the black glasses. Nico and Kayla were up and outside. I locked up the house and watched Nico spray sunscreen all over himself.

"Nico, you'll be fine now get in," Hazel laughed. We all piled into what I assumed was Frank's vehicle considering he was driving.

I was in the middle of course because Nico was car sick if he didn't sit near a window and Kayla just pushed me into the middle. I didn't have much of a problem with it but for anyone who is tall, it isn't the most comfortable for your legs.

The trip wasn't long luckily and my legs didn't cramp up from the ride. We all got out and started walking. We were going to go from a walk to overlook the town. It was nice here, we were not in the city and it was peaceful.

The walk wasn't long maybe a half mile or so. The summer sky was a bright blue with cotton candy-like clouds.

Hazel got the food ready as Frank and I got the blanket out. We all sat around with the food in the middle. There was basically everything you would think of for a summer picnic. Several different types of sandwiches, potato salad, fruit, chips, and sodas.

Kayla and Hazel seemed to hit it off, the only thing that bothered me was that they kept looking over in Nico and I's direction. I couldn't really hear them with the sounds of birds chirping and Frank, Nico, and I having a conversation.

"I don't get why you don't want to go, we won't let you near the lake without a raft," Frank said with a grin.

"Yeah, Neek's we can get you some floaties," I said laughing.

Nico glared at the both of us but didn't seem mad about it. "It's all fun and games until _someone_ drowns."

Frank apologized to him but I continued to laugh at him. The look on his face was just so funny. He gave me the finger in response and I pulled him into a hug. I knew he hated them so that's why I did it.

Frank looked at me like I was asking to die, even Hazel and Kayla turned to us with a look of uncertainty and shock written on their faces.

"Get off, Solace!" Nico said trying to squirm out of the hug. I admit he was a lot stronger than he looked, for someone as small as he was, he sure could throw a punch or elbow a person.

"Never."

"I will bite you," he said just before biting a part of my wrist. I let go and rubbed my wrist, did he have fangs or something?

It hurt a good bit.

"Ouch, Nico that was just mean," I said in a hurt tone trying to make him feel bad.

"Tough. I don't like hugs and you know it," he grumbled. We finished up our lunch soon after that incident.

My wrist was definitely going to bruise over with teeth marks by tomorrow.

We put the stuff back in Frank's vehicle and went on a small walk up to the trail. Hazel said she knew a path just a while away that had the best view you could ask for, so obviously, we all agreed to go.

"When Will and I were younger and our dad would bring someone home we would always take their clothes and cut holes in the tops," Kayla laughed.

It was funny to see the shocked look on their faces, the women always seemed to be angrier than the men did but we laughed anyway.

"How did we never get caught?" I asked her.

"No idea, he had to have known at some point." I thought about it for a minute but there was no way he would have known; even with the ex's who came back around, we did the same thing.

We would always have little things happen to our fathers "friends" as he called them, yeah "friends". Trust me when I say my siblings and I had to leave because of the sounds from his room. I could go on all my life without knowing the sounds of my father and his "friends" moans.

"I remember the guy with brown hair who gave us fifty bucks to get out of the house," Kayla said with laughter.

"Wait your dad likes guys?" Nico asked. Normally I would have been rude if someone asked that because it's normally asked in a mean or hurtful manner. But Nico wasn't rude about it, he looked like he just wanted to know.

"He likes anything with nice legs," Kayla laughed.

I nodded. "He's bisexual, so yeah he likes the dudes."

"Oh . . . uh cool," Nico said and continued walking. He seemed weird after that, but I brushed it off to the heat getting to him.

Once we made it to the top of the path we all sat on the cold dirt ground. Hazel was right, the view was something incredible. The nature mixed with the city in the distance was something that looked like it was photoshopped.

The sun danced over the leaves making the shaded we were under look like it had its own fairy lights. To make matters even better the wind picked up cooling us all down.

"I could get used to a view like this," Kayla said.

"It's gorgeous," Frank told Hazel.

"Definitely worth the hike up here," I said taking a few pictures of the view and of the things around me.

I _might_ have taken a few pictures of Nico, but only because he looked very photogenic. He was sitting with his back against a tree, the wind had blown some of his messy raven hair out of his face, and he wore a slight smile.

We stayed up there for twenty minutes before traveling back to the parking lot, then home.

A few hours later, Nico was in the kitchen cooking dinner and I was getting a list of what we would need for camping.

Kayla said she had what she needed so she watched tv and helped out with dinner.

I was planning on packing most of the stuff tomorrow when Nico finished his very last class in the morning. I finished my list within a few minutes, I liked to make lists to make sure I would not forget something important like a tent or my clothes.

Both have happened before and it was not a fun time.

I also gave Nico a small list of the food and drinks we were to bring. We all agreed to bring something along so it was all fair. I packed up some bathroom supplies we would need and freshly washed towels.

Most of the stuff was at the front door packed and ready. Like the tent, a blow-up mattress and sleeping bags. Kayla also said she had her own camping supplies so she was all set too, maybe that's why her bags were so heavy.

I always found something very exciting or relaxing about packing for a vacation. There was just something fun about it to me.

Before I knew it Kayla was yelling at me, "Will get your ass over here dinner is ready. You have two minutes before I get offended and spit in your food."

Knowing damn well she wasn't joking I quickly set the rest of the things neatly by the door and rushed over before she could touch my food.


	15. Nico: Chapter XV

By the time I finished up with my very last class and got home Will already had everything in his truck ready to go camping. I didn't want to go but knew it would make Hazel happy. I shook my head at Will rushing around double checking everything was locked and would be fine while we were gone.

"Is he always this, uh crazy?" I asked Kayla as we walked to Will's truck. She nodded. "Yep, he likes making sure of things. He can be forgetful sometimes."

There was only room for the three of us in his truck, it was full of a bunch of stuff that I couldn't even name.

"Lou and Cecil are going to meet us there with the rest of our camping buds," Will informed us.

 _Let the week of Hell begin_ , I thought to myself.

"Since you haven't been camping in a long time I packed a little extra," Will said, while only half looking at the road. His driving was frightening, to say the least.

"Really, I couldn't tell. It looks like you took half the house with you."

Kayla laughed and agreed with me. I felt bad she sat in the back with only enough room for her seat, no more. "Well, there was a lot to bring like a blow-up mattress, tents, and all that."

He then went on about nature rules.

What berries to eat, if it has leaves of three let it be, and how to navigate to woods which I was pretty sure he would get us lost and we would die in the middle of some woods where no one would find us.

After an hour of show tunes, stories, and musical reenactments, we arrived at the campsite. It was one where you had a parking lot, a small shop, and the rest was basically nature. We saw our friends arrive soon after us.

Reyna came up and hugged me when she got there.

I wasn't much in the mood for hugs but I let it slide. "This is going to be so fun," Hazel said when she got there.

Hazel managed to get one of the bigger campsites not too far from a lake. It was more like three lots merged into one family sized lot.

It was nice to know we'd all be close by to one another. This way if someone were to be murdered we would go out with a fight or die in the woods, whichever came first.

We paid at the shop for the area we would be spending the next few days at. Will, Kayla, and I unloaded our stuff and took as much as we could because we all agreed we didn't want to make a second trip to the truck.

Hazel was our guide to the lot and we all dragged our crap along the dirt ground. I wanted to turn back, go home where I would be in my cool air-conditioned house. But instead, I was in the hot outdoors being bitten by bugs.

 _Yay_ _camping_.

It was around noon when we made it to the spot and I would have collapsed on the ground if I knew I could get back up. With all the shit Will had handed me, made me feel like I was dragging a dead body along the walk there.

"Everyone set up your stuff and when you're done help Frank and me with dinner."

It was worth seeing how happy Hazel was about coming out here again.

Percy and Annabeth set up their tent fighting over who could have done it quicker.

Reyna offered to put up Hazel and Frank's tent when she was done with her own, I think she just wanted out of cooking if you asked me.

Lou watched Cecil struggle with their tent and Piper calmly put hers up with no worry. Kayla said she'd do her's later and went to start a fire.

"Okay Nico lets get up our tent," Will said to me. He must have seen the confusion on my face. "What do you mean 'our' tent?" I asked hoping I heard him wrong.

"The thing we will be sleeping in tonight, duh."

 _I had to share a tent with him?_

What if I have a nightmare and kicked him? With all the things we brought with us he only had one tent.

"I-I though- why are we sharing a tent? Don't you have another one?" I asked cursing myself for the awkwardness in my tone.

"Nope, gave Kayla my other one since she said her's had a rip in the side,"

Will said already starting to get the tent out of the bag it came in. So that's it, Kayla took it. I don't know why but I felt like it was on purpose like she wanted Will and me to sleep in a barely two person tent.

I stopped my thoughts and set everything down and helped Will.

I put the stakes in and Will blew up the queen sized air mattress with a portable thing I forgot the name of. I had to share a bed with him for a week.

 _I'm going to die on this vacation._

The inside of the tent wasn't that bad there was room for the air mattress and our backpacks in the corner. I set the bed up making as much space between us as possible. When I was done he set up lights on the inside. They looked like fairy lights but shaped like little stars.

"Home sweet home," Will grinned, then patted my back before going off to set up Kayla's tent.

It was only growing darker and Kayla was just ignoring the fact her tent was still in a bag.

I walked over to help my sister, Piper, and Frank with dinner. Hot dogs, veggie dogs cause Piper and Frank were vegetarians, and makeshift mac and cheese. I didn't know how you could make something like that in the woods but it worked out.

Reyna and Lou set up chairs for everyone around the fire when they ran out Reyna found a log and pulled over near the fire as a bench.

I just wanted to go to sleep but instead, Hazel handed me a plate and told me to eat, using her motherly tone when she said it.

I sat on the log with my legs crossed eating my dinner. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but the real test was when I had to go to sleep in the same bed as Will. I didn't know it was what bothered me about it but I just felt embarrassed by it.

How can you sleep when there is a very attractive guy laying next to you, add in the fact that I'm gay as shit and you get a flustered insomniac.

We just sat by the fire until the sun went down then made sure all the food was put away so we didn't attract any unwanted visitors.

Hazel gave us maps of the grounds, with the area we were currently at circled. A half a mile away was the bathrooms/washrooms. You could shower there if you wanted and it seemed pretty clean.

We all got ready for bed early the walk there was longer than expected and I was glad to see I wasn't the only one tired.

Percy fell asleep at dinner and Annabeth had to take him to their tent. "Seriously Seaweed Brain! You could have at least not used your food as a pillow," Annabeth was muttering on the way.

I was dressed in my comfy clothes, there was no way I was sleeping shirtless next to golden boy.

I got in the tent and laid on my sleeping bag trying to get comfortable. It was not happening anytime soon. I tossed and turned for about five minutes.

I heard the sound of flip-flops coming closer and closer until Will unzipped the tent and literally jumped in.

He landed on the bed, which if you didn't know makes the other person go airborne when someone jumps or more like _flops_ onto it.

I was thrown into the side of the tent. "What the actual Hell, William?!" I yelled not caring who heard. The others were probably sleeping or almost asleep by this time.

He only responded in a broken sentence between his fit of laughter. "I- didn- that actually worked!"

I just glared at him trying to unglue my side from the side of the tent and get back on the bed. _I'm so getting payback for this._

He laid down still laughing and turned the fairy lights on. "You should have seen that, Neek's. You really went flying!"


	16. Will: Chapter XVI

I untangled myself from sleeping bags and got out of the tent walking along the trail to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Today was planned to explore the land and tell horror stories by the fire tonight; a simple day.

I was happy to be camping again, when I was younger and lived with my dad, Kayla and I would create makeshift campsites in our backyard. It was pretty fun.

It's nostalgic to think of the colorful lights we used to hang up on the porch, the tents that had way too many pillows, and pranks on our father late at night.

We picked a great time to come here, the trees were perfectly green and so far the days were sunny.

I got to the washroom and got a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and got ready for today's walk. The washroom was surprisingly clean, which was rare.

By the time I got back, everyone was up and getting ready themselves. Cecil looked like someone punched him in the arm, already bruising over. I would have asked if he was okay, but knowing him he deserved it for whatever he had done this time.

"Morning Will, sleep well?" Kayla asked with a smirk.

I knew the whole "My tent was torn last minute thing" was total bullshit. I nodded to her even if it was a lie.

Last night I couldn't stop laughing when I flopped onto the air mattress sending Nico into the side of the tent.

When the laughing died down I couldn't sleep, I was too afraid I'd wake up cuddling him.

I had a habit of moving closer to warmth as I slept, and Kayla knew this. Which is why she forced us to share a tent. She could be mean sometimes.

The day went by fast, we ate breakfast and packed lunch and went on a walk to see the area. It was nice just to be there, almost calm, no worries. My anxiety had been bad lately but it seemed to fade down a bit when I was here.

I was with people who made me happy and didn't have to live up to some expectation they had me held at.

"This campground has been around since 1952, though it was only used as a campground officially in 1989," Annabeth shared cool facts along the way. Her boyfriend Percy was off ignoring most of the things she said.

Piper was given a piggyback ride from Reyna on the way back. Nico was irritated and it was really funny to watch.

"Why won't these stupid bugs leave me alone?" Nico yelled swatting at the air.

"It's cause you're too sweet," I muttered to him before even thinking about it.

"Haha," he replied and flipped me off.

I helped gather wood for the fire as most everyone else helped cook and get out stuff for s'mores (for later). Lou helped me gather some wood after she was kicked out of the non-existent kitchen for threatening her boyfriend.

"So you and Nico slept together?" she said with a grin. I choked on air.

"What no- it's not- don't word it that way. We only shared a bed no big deal."

I needed to change the topic soon before she pushed further. "So what happened to Cecil's arm?"

She shrugged. "He tried to touch my boobs, I slapped him . . . then he tried again so I punched him," she said casually.

"It's shocking you guys haven't killed each other yet."

"That it is Will, but the night is still young," she said with a laugh. We set the wood up so it wouldn't fall.

This time for dinner we were having mountain pies, one of my camping favorites. It was like a pizza sandwich over the fire.

For mine, I added the normal stuff.

Tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, it was classic.

"Who wants to tell the scary stories?" Annabeth asked.

The sky was gray and growing darker making it the perfect time to start with a few stories.

"I'll save mine for the s'mores," Piper said with an evil smile. I knew Piper could tell some scary stories.

"I'll go then," Nico said, which shocked pretty much all of us.

"The story is about a boy who went on a camping trip with his friends. He got into a fight with them and just as the sunset he walked off into the woods. It was hours till he stopped unsure of where he was even going. It was dark and he was lost, unsure which way was back to his friends. He had no other options other than going forward until he found something." Nico would pause every few minutes drawing us into the story. He could be a bit dramatic at times.

"With each step, he cringed at the loud sounds his feet were making in the silent night air. Just when he was going to give up hope for finding anything he came across a light. When he ran to it he noticed there were more than his own footsteps behind him. Cries echoed throughout the woods but not from the boy. His friends were horrified to find his head in their tent when they woke up. Dripping blood onto their perfect pillows."

He laughed coldly.

"No one was caught for the murder and no one believed the boy's friends'. It remains a mystery to this day."

When the story was over and he told about how the boy still runs around the camp, drawn to any light we decided to make s'mores.

After Lou and Annabeth told their horror stories it was Piper's turn. She had a way to make what she was saying seem so vivid and real. I had to question if it really was a story and not some twisted thing that happened here a few weeks ago.

I was starting to get sleepy after I finished my last s'more. Nico got a blanket from the tent and I forced him to share it with me. The night's wind was getting cold and I didn't want to miss something important in the story.

It was peaceful in an eerie sense. The sounds of nature and the crackle of the fire only set the mood for Piper's story.

A few minutes letter I felt Nico's head land on my shoulder, he was sleeping. No one was really paying any attention to us, everyone was focused on Piper and her story. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to just rest my head on Nico's.

 _Bad idea._

The next thing I heard were whispers and a flash of light against my closed eyes. I had to smile at the feeling of Nico being comfortable enough to sleep on my shoulder. I didn't even care about the whispers or what was most likely a picture being taken.

I could have stayed like that forever, but Hazel gently woke me up and I took Nico back to our tent.

He was a heavy sleeper, I set him down in his sleeping bag and he was still fast asleep.

I smiled at him before zipping up the tent and passing out myself.


	17. Nico: Chapter XVII

"Guys I've found the lake!" Percy yelled. He was like a kid on Christmas. I swear if the guy could he would live the rest of his life in water.

"Sweet, how far out?" I heard Piper ask. I pretty much tuned the rest out.

Reyna waved her hand in front of me to get my attention. When she knew I was listening to her, she told me to get dressed we were going swimming.

Hazel gave me the thumbs up for encouragement.

I knew how to swim, I just didn't trust the water. It's not fun or peaceful to me. But I took a deep breath and got into my swimming trunks.

Another thing I disliked about swimming was the attire. I hated being shirtless around other people, even with my friends/family.

 _Hazel_ _will_ _surely_ _mention_ _how_ _I_ _need_ _to_ _be_ _eating_ _more_.

After two layers of waterproof sunscreen, I was walking to my death . . . I mean to go swimming.

Percy was fearless and just jumped into the water, Piper and Will followed soon after, Reyna did a backflip, and I just watched.

Annabeth was reading a book under a tree, Hazel was on a raft shaped like a donut, and Frank was sitting at the edge with his feet casually in the water.

I sat next to Frank my legs crossed as I looked down at the blueish water. "Don't want to go?" Frank asked.

I shook my head. "Fuck no."

I couldn't help but swear the water just was a no go. I had tested the temperature with my foot and it was cold. Even the hot day like today couldn't make the water appealing to me.

"Just give it a chance. Hazel even got rafts and stuff," Frank said with an encouraging smile. He knew I'd do anything to see Hazel smile so I got up and walked to higher grounds to jump into the water.

I knew if I stood there any longer I'd end up chickening out of it. I took a deep breath and jumped. My eyes closed and my hand holding my nose as I was overwhelmed with water. It was like ice.

I swam up as quick as I could gasping for air mainly out of the impact. I opened my eyes and Reyna was in front of me asking if I was okay.

"I'm fine," I cough out. I'm pretty sure I swallowed some of the water. "You sure? I can't believe you did that. Totally badass!" Reyna said hitting me on the back.

Hazel was grinning at me and it was worth it.

"Great job Neek's!" Will yelled from the other end of the lake. It made me blush for some reason. I'm twenty-four years old and I'm blushing over my roommate.

Piper swam over and splashed us. "Are we going to swim or talk ladies?"

"Oh, it's on now!" Reyna said splashing the water back at Piper. Next thing I knew everyone was in the water having a water war. From what I could see Percy was winning.

It was like a movie moment if that makes sense. It's a time you don't want to end, you just wanted to stay there forever.

"Wise Girl, why the sad face?" Percy asked Annabeth. She was soaking wet, her blonde curly hair clung to her face. "Perseus Jackson! You got water on the cover of my book!" He paled and did his best to swim away from her.

In the short time, I knew Annabeth I learned she was the type of person you would not want to mess with. And that her books were her children so it was pretty funny watching her run after her boyfriend.

"Looks like that's going to go well," Piper laughed. We swam around till our stomachs growled. I hadn't realized just how hungry I was until I was back at camp with two empty plates of garlic cheese fries.

"Woah, Nico slow down, you're going to get a stomach ache," Will joked.

"Says the guy who chugged a beer and then ate whatever the fuck is on your plate."

I wasn't sure what it was. It looked like a mess of fries with way too much ketchup on. He gasped dramatically, "How dare you insult my masterpiece." He gestured to his plate which looked like anything but a masterpiece.

"Too late," I got up and patted him on the cheek before going to throw my plates away. Then I realized I just patted him on the cheek. I turn back to see him shrug it off and eat his ketchup with a side of fries.

"You like him don't you?" Hazel asked. I jumped not realizing she was there. Something about my family we all could do well was sneak up on people. We could blend well with the shadows.

"What I do not. Hazel don't be ridiculous, what gives you that idea?" I pretend not to care either way.

"Oh, you know just the way you guys look at each other and the fact you fell asleep on him last night at the fire. I know how you are with sleeping near people."

"I was just tired and he made me share the blanket with him. There is nothing more."

Hazel smirked clearly not believing me but also not pushing the topic. She handed me a cookie and told me to eat it before handing out more cookies to everyone else.

After eating a few of us headed to the washroom to clean up. The building was separated into two parts one for the bathrooms and then the shower rooms. It was pretty basic only five showers in total.

I quickly slip into the shower to wash off the gross lake water. Letting the warm water run down my back when I heard singing. The voice sounded so familiar yet I couldn't figure out who it was.

"Will, shut up!" Kayla yelled from the far end of the washroom.

"Never!" and the singing continued louder.

The washroom was private enough no one could see each other but you definitely could hear everything.

From what I could hear it was Kayla, Will, and someone I couldn't tell who they were in the building. I finished up my shower and turned the water off. I dried off and got dressed before walking out of my shower.

Will, Kayla, and Annabeth were all walking out back onto the trail when we heard a twig break in the distance.

"Did someone change their mind about coming out here?" Kayla asked us.

Her orange and green hair looked brighter for some reason. "I don't think so," Annabeth said in a hushed tone.

Will walked slowly beside me looking around expecting to see what was making the sound.

A rustling sound came from behind us. It seemed closer than the last sound. "Might be a bear or something?" Kayla said casually.

"Oh is that it?" Will asked with a hint of sarcasm. Before we could say much else a masked figure jumped out in front of us. Then something from behind us.

We all turned and it was a taller figure. The shorter masked person ran to us making Will pull me closer to him and away from the others. "Percy, Piper, knock it off," Annabeth said as she continued to walk.

I'm not sure how she knew it was them so quickly but she did. Kayla poked Piper in the face as if that could prove it was her.

"Aw come on Annabeth, it was just a prank," Piper ran after her. Percy soon followed with his own comments. Kayla winked at Will and me who were still arm and arm before she walked off.

"I think you can let go of me now," I told Will.

"Oh right," he unlinked our arms. "Sorry I just panicked."

"No worries, dude." He didn't have anything to apologize for. The rest of the walk went without any other problems.

The campsite was cleaned up from lunch and it looked like someone fixed up the fire to start a new one.

"Who wants to play truth or dare?" Piper asked with an evil grin. Reyna, Kayla, and Percy all agreed without much thought. Then the rest of us joined in.

I felt like a teenager playing such a stupid game. I disliked most things like this, I hated being told what to do.

We were all gathered in a circle around the fire. Some had beers in their hand's others had soda or nothing at all.

"Okay I'll go first, someone ask me?" Piper said taking a drink of whatever she had in her red solo cup.

"Truth or Dare?" Reyna asked.

"Dare, obviously."

"I dare you to call a co-worker, other than Will and tell them you don't know what to do with the body."

Piper ran to her tent and looked for her phone walking back to us with it already to her ear.

"Leo!" she screamed into the phone. She put it on speaker so we knew what he was saying.

"I need your help dude. I fucked up really badly." Her tone was panicked and almost like she was going to cry. She was really good at acting.

"What'd you do Pipes?" he asked confused.

"I-I had a fight with Jason and-" she broke off into a sob. "He's dead, I killed him. I did mean to but gods Leo I can't go to prison. I need to hide the body!"

It took a lot not to laugh. She was so believable I nearly bought the idea. "Shit, you're for real. He's dead?" Leo's voice cracked.

"Nope, not at all. Just a prank," she said sarcastically. "Just meet me at his apartment in an hour please!"

"Okay, Piper I'll be there-" she hung up on him and threw her phone back into her tent. "Okay my turn, Annabeth?"

"Truth," Annabeth said without having to think. "How old were you when you realize Percy wears only blue underwear?"

"Twelve, we mixed up our backpacks on a trip once."

The game went on for a while until it was Kayla's turn. "Will?"

"Dare," he said with confidence. "Lick the person to your right on the cheek," Kayla giggled. I was about to laugh then looked over to Will and realized I was on his right. I cursed under my breath.

"Come on Kayl-" she cut him off. "Nope lick Nico on the cheek or kiss him," she said in a demanding tone. She was a hundred percent serious about this. Piper and Percy adding a chant of "do it, do it," for the effect.

I was panicking.

The problem wasn't Will having to lick the side of my face or kiss me, but the problem being the watching eyes. I hated being the center of attention.

Will turned to me with his ocean eyes leaving me at a loss for words. When I came back to reality I realized he asked me if it was okay.

"Just get it over with." I did not want to give any emotion away so I just gave in. Before he leaned in, I thought about the first night here and how he flopped onto the air mattress.

The people around us went quiet which was shocking considering they rarely shut up.

He moves closer to me situating how he was sitting so he could face me. Our faces a few inches apart when I slap him on the side of his face.

"Ow, what the hell Nico?" Will said with his hand on his face.

I laughed.

"Payback is a bit of a bitch."

I did my best look of innocence as I could muster.

"So close," Kayla whispered.

It was worth it, even if I had to get a fifteen-minute lecture about how hitting friends was mean by Hazel.

I was kinda glad I didn't kiss him. I didn't think I could stop myself if I did. The man was hot and having any relationship with him other than a platonic one would probably just end like all my other relationships, not that I had many at all.


	18. Will: Chapter XVIII

The sounds of birds made my head hurt and when I tried to open my eyes it hurt even more. I didn't think I drank much last night but my head had a different impression.

We all had a pretty good time playing games around the campfire and a few of us sang. Kayla got drunk off soda and started singing the Campfire Song Song from Spongebob.

I heard a groan from Nico when I went to turn on my side. I looked down and realized I was holding him to my chest.

His messy black hair stood up in every direction as it usually did in the morning. He looked so peaceful I couldn't move him. I knew he had a difficult time sleeping, to begin with.

I ran my hand through his hair absentmindedly, closing my eyes, hoping to fall asleep again this time without a headache. Nico held onto me tightly I automatically thought he was having a bad dream or something but I looked to see him almost smiling.

It was kinda a nice moment in the morning until my sister started to shake the tent like a mad woman. "Get up lovebirds its almost ten!" Kayla yelled.

I wanted to yell at her to be quiet but that wouldn't really work if I wanted Nico to stay asleep. Nico opened his eyes then looked up at me confused. "Mornin' I figured I'd let you sleep in," I told him softly.

Nico's eyes widened once he figured out he was pretty much laying on top of me. "I- uh- morning," he stuttered out.

I figured he was just embarrassed or something but I wasn't sure why.

"Get yo asses up," Kayla yelled again.

"We are up now thanks to you!" I yelled back at her. Nico was trying his best to get up but between the sleeping bags and extra blankets, it was difficult. "Hold on, just slow down there Neek's," I told him calmly.

"I just need to get out of here." He looked panicky so I sat up and pulled at the blankets until he was free. He unzipped the tent and walked off to get some air. I will admit to watching him walk away but snapped myself out of it before anyone caught me.

I threw on a t-shirt and went to have whatever was left over from breakfast. "About time, we were starting to think Nico murdered you," Lou said with a grin. "Or fucked you," Cecil said casually.

I choked on air at his blunt words. "Haha, don't quit your day jobs." I sat down on the log near the dying down fire. Frank handed me a plate of eggs and bacon. "Thanks," I told him before practically inhaling it.

By the time I finished eating Nico was walking back and talking to Hazel. He looked slightly irritated but remained calm when she gave him a granola bar. "Will? Watchin' your boyfriend are you?" Lou teased.

I didn't realize I was even staring at him. "What? no. I was just looking around, where's Piper and Percy?" I asked changing the subject.

"They went for a swim," Annabeth said not looking up from her book.

"We are going too but figured we'd wait for our annoying friends to wake up," Lou joked. "Ugh, I hate when that happens," I replied.

I walked off to get my swimming trunks on quickly before Lou and Cecil tried to leave without me.

Once I was dressed I walked over to them ready to go. Reyna was walking back with a determined look on her face.

Nico got up from his spot near the fire and ran back to the tent. "Oh no you don't di Angelo! You are going swimming with us again today."

I laughed and walked along the path with Lou and Cecil. "Okay but if I were going to get a nipple piercing how bad would it hurt?" Cecil asked.

"Uh, why would you want to know?" I asked him.

The thought made me think of Nico, remembering the time I first saw him without a shirt. "I don't know maybe Lou would like me more-"

"Ha, nope. I wouldn't, but if it helps it hurts a lot especially for men." Lou smirked.

She knew Cecil would never get another piercing after the time we dared him to get his ears pierced.

I didn't understand how it hurt him so much, mine didn't hurt any more than someone pinching the lobe of my ear.

"Okay, but what if I got a tattoo of a U-turn on my ass? You know like what's her face did from Weeds."

I looked over to Lou. "Please don't let him online anymore." She nodded in agreement and I thanked the gods we arrived at the lake.

Piper and Percy were hanging up an old tire swing when we got there. "Sup guys, look what we found!" Piper yelled happily.

It was another hot day, the feeling of ice water felt great. I was laying on my back floating when I saw Nico, Frank, Hazel, and Annabeth walking on the path.

Reyna was far ahead of them all in a slight jog. "Oh good you guys got it up now," she spoke to Percy and Piper.

It was nice to see them all laugh and have fun without having to worry about life. They took turns on the tire swing jumping off into the water. Was it safe? No, most likely not at all, but they didn't let that get in the way.

Annabeth just sat at the other end of the lake reading, making sure no one splashed her book this time. I watched Cecil talking to Nico every once in a while pointing at his chest. "Yes, it hurt, its a needle going through a sensitive part of the body."

Lou just laughed before patting him on the back.

When Nico got up on the tire swing he looked like he'd rather be punched. Percy pushed him and Nico continued to hold on when he was meant to jump.

"Nope I'm not- get me off," he said, trying to hide any emotions in his voice.

"It's no different than jumping off the ledge, Nico you can do it," Piper said with a motivational smile. Percy pushed him again and this time Nico jumped.

When he emerged from the water his face was scrunched up in pain. I quickly swam over to him to see if he was alright. "What happened?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "I'm fine just- think I cut my leg that's all." He was clearly _not_ okay and what kind of soon to be doctor would I be if I didn't help him out. I took his arm, ignoring his protests and dragged him out of the water.

His leg was scuffed at the shin as blood peeked out of the small cuts.

"I can take you back and we can patch this up," I told him not giving him any time to answer. "Get on my back," I bent down low enough for him to get onto my back.

"I am not getting on your back," he said wincing when he stood up. Reyna and Hazel walked over to see if he was alright. He said what he told me neither of them believing him either. That kind of scuff looked more than a bit painful.

"Just let Will take you back to get fixed up," Hazel said.

With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist. I smiled and thanked Hazel for talking some sense into her brother.

The walk back was silent for the most part. I felt Nico's chest up against my back and his head resting on my shoulder. I could feel his piercings against my naked back.

"We passed that tree twice," he mumbled. He was right I remembered seeing it but didn't want to say we were lost- or rather I was lost.

"Just go left next time," he said moving his leg again to get more comfortable. When we got back to camp I sat him down by the firepit and went to retrieve my first aid kit.

He looked tired and annoyed by the whole thing happening and I couldn't blame him. I got to work cleaning and bandaging the cuts. "Don't get your leg wet until tomorrow and I'll rebandage it for you.

He nodded and I packed up my things. "T-thank you, Will," he said looking over to me. I felt the butterflies in my stomach doing cartwheels on motorcycles.

I wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss him. "Yeah, no problemo," I said before walking back to my tent.

 _No, he is your roommate you can not fuck that up!_


	19. Nico: Chapter XIX

It was the last night there and I could not wait to get back home. Sure the trip was not as bad as I thought it would be, but I missed my comfortable bed and air-conditioned house.

It was Piper's idea we play a game of hide and seek, cause nothing says adults like ten twenty-something-year-olds hiding in the woods like children. "Hide and seek has _no_ age!" Percy and Piper told me when I mentioned it.

They wanted to wait till it was dark to make it more interesting. The sun was fading away and I was helping Frank with dinner. It was nice having someone who knew how to cook help make a meal.

Tonight we were having garlic potatoes, grilled corn, and sausages (vegetarian for Frank and Piper).

I watched the flames in the fire waiting for the food to cook when Will appeared out of nowhere and sat next to me.

"How's your leg holding up?" he asked. He was drinking one of Reyna's party drinks.

She always liked to mix different drinks to see if they were any good. I told her before she'd probably do well if she owned a bar or something.

"My leg is fine, doesn't really hurt much anymore," I told him truthfully. I was still pissed about scraping up my leg, it was embarrassing being carried back to the campsite by a hot shirtless man.

He nods clearly a bit tipsy already from the drink. "You going to be on my team?" he asked.

"What?" I wanted to mess with him, I knew he meant for the game but it was fun this way.

"The game of hide and seek, do you want to team up?"

"I don't know, I kinda wanna win the game," I laughed. He punched my arm playfully and pretended to look hurt about my comment.

"Fine, I'll team up with you."

He smiled like I told him he won a hundred dollars or something. I will never understand what goes on inside his head. "Great, we're team Solangelo. Kayla and Reyna kinda worked on the name."

I couldn't help but laugh. "What would have happened if I said no?" I asked him curiously. "I would have been forever hurt by your words," he said with a hand over his heart. "So dramatic," I muttered.

When Frank and I finished up cooking, the food was handed out and we ate. It was like we hadn't had food for weeks. Piper and Percy finished their food first clearly excited about the game.

Growing up I never made much effort to be around people and make friends. I never played games like these till college. You would be surprised about how much a kindergartner has in common with a college kid.

We all cleaned up the area taking our time considering it was our last meal here. We were leaving in the morning and going out to eat at some diner Hazel found. Cleaning didn't take long and we were all standing next to our teammates.

"Okay, a few rules before we start the game. One, you must have a partner. Two, you should have a flashlight and a map. Three, if you give up come back here to the fire pit. And four, if you're lost send an SOS signal with the flashlight." Piper showed the SOS signal which I already knew from my many nights online learning random things no one really used much.

For the first round, we were in teams of five. Will, Frank, Reyna, Lou and I were on the yellow team. Piper, Hazel, Cecil, Kayla, and Percy were on the "Knight of the Dark" team. Annabeth did the smart thing and stayed by the fire, something about peace and quiet.

I wanted to do the same but here I was crouching behind a makeshift bush. We ended up flipping a coin to see who got to hide first. Reyna knew the grounds pretty well and Frank was good at finding little-hiding spots.

Will was the difficult one. I didn't mean it in a bad way by any means but damn he could not shut up.

The other team found him first, I blame the bright blond hair mostly. I will admit it was kinda fun just walking out in the woods at night. It was eerie but calm at the same time. Percy and Piper obviously were pros at this game because it took at least fifteen minutes to find them alone.

We played like this for a few more rounds and then broke off into teams of two. Will and me, Piper and Percy, Lou and Cecil, Frank and Reyna, and lastly Kayla and Hazel.

We all played rock paper scissors to see who had to count. It was Will and me.

"One, two, seventeen-" Will counted while the others ran off. The wind picked up and created a nice breeze. When Will was up to "one-hundred" we walked off in the general direction.

Will shined the flashlight everywhere till it got caught on bright orange and green hair. "Up there, the tree to the left," I whispered to him. "Kayla! We've found you!" he yelled.

"Wow Will way to sound creepy," she says jumping out of the tree. "It's what I do," Will says before shining the light on Hazel behind the tree.

We were good at finding people at least.

When it was our turn to hide I pulled Will along the path. We couldn't go further than the lake and so far no one had wandered up there to hide. "Nico slow down it's not a race," Will said in his best whisper.

"It is when Piper and Percy are counting," I muttered back. There was a cave thing we could hide in just enough out of the way the lights shouldn't find us. It was hard to see all the rocks that I never noticed on the path before.

"Are we soon th-" I cut Will off when I saw a flash of light followed by steps. "Merda!" I whispered to myself.

I shushed Will and pulled him on the ground covering his mouth with my hand.

"I thought I heard talking."

"You were probably the one talking," Lou whispered to who I assumed was Cecil. When their voices were whispers Will decided to lick my hand. "Ew!" I quickly covered my mouth, with the clean hand. _Great, they definitely heard that._

Will grinned like he was proud of licking my hand. "Now look who gave us away," he whispered. I glared at him. I looked around and couldn't see anything so I took Will's hand and pulled him along to the cave. It looked somewhat like the cave in "Tangled" but much smaller and less cool.

It was small and the only light was coming from the moon. We crouched down in the small space. I even found a broken branch and moved it closer for us to blend in better. The cave was closed off and difficult to climb into.

Will was so close I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, it was getting annoying so I thought it would be a great idea to turn and face him. Before my mind could question it I turned. "Stop that it tickles," I looked up into his eyes.

He wasn't that much taller than me but the way we were crouched into a cave I had to look up at him more. "Oh the great badass di Angelo is ticklish," he questioned with a smirk.

 _I_ _regret_ _so_ _much_.

"No, I am- just forget it," I groaned him. He clearly was not going to forget it, I could tell by the look he had in his eyes. His eyes, _shit_ I was staring for just a bit too long. They were just so blue, then I noticed he was looking back at me.

Normally I would have pushed him away but I couldn't really move and my legs were sleeping so I would have nowhere to go. My gaze dropped down to his lips, they looked soft. I had no doubt they were, he used chapstick all the fucking time and I would find them all over the house. Once I even found one in the fridge, I didn't ask.

Before I had time to think he was somehow closer, I don't know who moved closer but our foreheads were touching. I gulped nervously. It was like the first time I kissed a guy, I was a nervous kid all over again.

The thought _Will_ _is_ _my_ _roommate_ _I_ _definitely_ _should_ _not_ _kiss_ _him_ ran in my head just before I closed the space between us.

Our lips met and just as I thought his lips were very soft. I felt his tongue brush over my lower lip so I opened my mouth. He tasted like alcohol and oranges. Where the hell did he get an orange out here? I didn't know.

He pulled me on his lap in a quick motion without breaking the kiss. My hands traveled up into his hair as I fought for dominance over the kiss. The feeling of his lips on my own was breathtaking but the taste of him was intoxicating. If I didn't stop this soon I wouldn't be able to.

The problem was I didn't want to stop and judging from the soft moans escaping his mouth he didn't want to either. His hands traveled up my shirt brushing his fingers over one of my nipples, I moaned in response. I wanted- no needed more of him.

Just when his hands moved to the waistband of my pants I heard footsteps. I pull back and motioned for Will to be quiet. They were getting closer and closer. I moved off Will, the best I could with my legs half asleep still and in the perfect timing too.

Light shined right in on us. "HA! Found you two!" Cecil yelled. Will and I shared a quick glance before getting out of the cave. We most likely looked just as flustered as we seemed.

We were the last to be found so we all headed back to the campfire for some s'mores and horror stories.

On the way back all I could do was think about the kiss, the slight taste of oranges in my mouth did not help me forget it either. I ignored most of what was happening on the way back.

I walked to the tent and quickly changed my clothes before walking over to sit by the fire. Will sat next to me like normal, but he seemed a little closer. Was I going to overthink this? It was just a kiss.

Nothing more, right?

"You guys took so long to find," Piper said smiling as she roasted marshmallows for s'mores.

"Yeah, we almost got caught by Lou and Cecil on the way to the cave," Will explained.

We stayed by the fire enjoying our last night here. If I wasn't worrying it probably would have been nice. The sound of a summer night filled the air and the crackle of the fire.

I ended up going to bed early so I could at least pretend to be asleep when Will came into the tent. I crawled in and got under the blankets and sleeping bag.

Subconsciously I ran my fingers over my lips. _What would have happened if Lou and Cecil didn't stop us when they did?_

The game must have worn me out because before I knew it I was asleep.


	20. Will: Chapter XX

Kayla pushed me into the booth next to Nico. We were having breakfast before we all said our goodbyes from the vacation. We got up extra early to pack everything up and hike out of the woods.

Nico and I haven't talked about the kiss that happened last night. By the time we were alone, he were asleep in the tent. I decided to talk to him when Kayla wasn't around, the last thing either of us needed was for her to know about that.

We all ordered our food and ate. There wasn't much to this place it was simple yet unique. The atmosphere was laid back and the people who worked there were nice. It almost reminded me of Pop's from Riverdale.

The booth was small with all of us crammed into it, Nico's knee would bump into mine every once in a while. Just that small bit of contact made me want more. It was weird because I knew there wasn't anything between us or shouldn't be.

We would be friends nothing more, at least that's what would be logical. I did my best not to think about it, I did not need to fall for someone who wasn't into me again. I gave into my feelings one time and it bit me in the ass, figuratively that is.

 _ **A/N: (Flashback to eight years ago,**_ _(Will was sixteen)_ _ **)**_

 **TRIGGER WARNING, SELF-HARM**

 _I had finally done it. I had just kissed my crush and she was not happy about it. I had a crush on her since we were kids and I finally worked the nerve up to kiss her, bad idea._

 _"Will, I-" I cut her off before she could tell me that she didn't like me that way._

 _I felt the looks of the people around us, most from our school. They have always had it out for me since I started going to this shit-hole of a place._

 _I had always been open about my sexuality and that in turn got me bullied. I did my best to ignore their lame-ass comments, like calling me a "fag" would hurt me or something? That to them was the best and most hurtful thing they could call me._

 _Personally, I didn't really find the word all that hurtful but maybe it was just because it was coming from them. I wasn't sure._

 _"It was stupid to do that, I'm sorry. It's just I really like you, as more than a friend. I understand if you don't feel the same or whatever." I didn't know what to say and ended up sounding like some stupid teen from a movie or something._

 _Her raven hair danced in the autumn wind and the longer it took her to respond the more my anxiety got worked up and made its own story up. The whispers of the crowd of people around us made it worse._

 _Why had I picked here to do this? Stupid!_

 _"Is that Solace?" an older boy I didn't recognize asked. "Yeah, fag got rejected real fast!"_

 _"I don't feel the same way, but I do still love you, Will. You have been there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on or an ex's house to burn, but even if I had those feelings for you it wouldn't matter. I'm leaving for school in a week remember?"_

 _The all too familiar sinking feeling in my stomach came over me. I don't know what I expected to happen but it wasn't this._

 _"I know, I think I'm- uh gonna go and we can just forget this ever happened." I did my best not to let her hear the edge in my voice._

 _I ran home and shut myself up in my room not daring to leave anytime soon. I felt my lungs ache from the breath I was holding. I laid on my bed staring at my dresser drawer. "No, I said I'd stop and I will. Plus what if mom found out or Kayla and Austin, no Will you don't need to do it."_

 _I felt the anxiety build up in my chest until I was standing in front of my dresser throwing my piles of socks out of the way like a crackhead._

 _When my fingers brushed against the cold blade my whole body went numb. I had tried so hard not to do this again, hell, I didn't even know why I still kept the stupid blade anymore._

 _I took my jeans off and sat on the floor with my back against the wall._

 _I took a deep breath and pulled up the soft fabric of my boxers revealing my upper thigh. "Just one more, then I'm done." I cried._

 _One cut turned into five and five turned into ten._

 _I only stopped when there was a knock on my door._

 _ **End of flashback.**_

We were walking out of the restaurant and I saw a claw machine so I had to play it. "What should I get?" I asked.

Nico rolled his eyes at me when he saw I was serious. "I don't know, what about the dog thing?" he suggested.

"It looks like the one dad had when we were kids but a lot smaller," Hazel added with a cheerful smile.

I added a dollar to the machine and it lit up. I was pretty good with these kinds of games, it didn't hurt that the dog was close to falling either. I moved the claw to the dog and pushed it instead of grabbing it.

Most of these games were rigged so that no one can really grab anything.

On my last try, I got the black fluffy dog. The only thing that was kinda creepy is it had red eyes that looked like they would glow in the dark, but other than that it was kinda cute.

I handed the dog to Nico. "Here."

Before he could decline I walked back to the truck.

When we got home, it didn't take long for people to disappear. Nico left for work and Kayla said she was going to finish a project for work and then going out with a few friends. "Don't wait up for me bro," she said before leaving.

I managed to clean out my truck and put away all the camping gear we used. I made sure everything was clean before putting it in its rightful place.

It was nice to be back home but I also felt anxiety coming on about leaving the campground. I'm not sure how to explain it other than when things went back to the mundane I just got anxious.

I shook the thoughts away and start to fill up the bathtub.

I added in my favorite citrus bubble bath. It smelled great, it was warm, and it was peaceful and relaxing all at once. I don't think I noticed just how much we walked or swam while we were at camp, my muscles ached just from that short time there.

I turned on an audiobook while I relaxed for a bit. I had the house to myself and it was nice, not that Nico was a bad roommate hell sometimes I didn't even notice he was home. He was like a cat when he walked, you couldn't hear him at all.

When the seventh chapter ended I rinsed off and got out of the bath. I finished the laundry from the trip and got dressed in my favorite hello kitty pajama pants. Since I was home by myself I figured I didn't need a shirt and was still hot from the bath.

I looked at my phone seeing the list I made and went over it. I would have to do some of it later but I completed a lot already. I just had to sweep the floors and I would be done with everything today.

I knew Nico liked his privacy but I decided to sweep his room, it wasn't like I was going through anything just using a vacuum to get the dirt off the ground.

I've seen in his room before but nothing more than a mere glance from the halls. I looked around for a place to plug the vacuum in at. His room was dark even with the lights on, it looked like something you'd see on Tumblr with a grunge or emo touch to it. I quickly got to work sweeping the dark wood floors.

I wasn't paying attention because I was singing "Candy Store" from the Heathers musical when I hit the frame of his bed and a book fell to the ground.

I turned the vacuum off and picked up the book.

On the outside, it was plain black with only a string that was probably used to wrap around it. It looked worn and old, it looked like it was from the eighteen hundreds or something. I didn't mean to look at the pages it just kinda happened.

It was open in my defense, so when I saw the scribbles of some horrifying creature I had to read it.

At first, I thought it was just a sketchbook or some kind of horror story but the more I looked at it the more I felt like it was something more, a journal of sorts.

It was definitely Nico's with his messy writing everywhere, some of the paragraphs weren't even in English like he just started screaming in a different language. I assumed it to be Italian considering he spoke it every once in a while.

 _"I see them again and again. I know it's not real but she felt real to me. Her brown-black eyes glared and asked me why I did that to her like she always does, this time dad didn't get home in time and left me with her again."_

I read silently in my head, nothing made sense to me other than they seemed to be nightmares. I was so intrigued by the writing I didn't notice the dark figure in the doorway.

"Nico, you're home early."


	21. Nico: Chapter XXI

This was seriously not my night. I arrived to work early so I could just get it over with. I was tired from the vacation and probably should have taken this day off but I didn't.

The graveyard wasn't bad and I didn't have as much to clean as I normally would.

When I got my schedule I got to work. I dug two graves, cleaned three tombstones, and picked up the trash scumbags left behind. I took extra time with Bianca's grave taking away the old flowers and cleaning the green vase.

Shit hit the fan when I was walking up to a local store to buy new flowers for my sister's grave.

"Nico?" the voice made me cringe.

I turned to see the all too familiar face. "Ethan, how's it going?" I asked not really caring for an answer.

The guy always gave me a bad feeling, like I was walking on eggshells every time I talked to him.

"Oh you know, pretty good. What about you? Haven't seen you in a while."

I had been avoiding him for a while for a good reason. Ethan used to be a "friend" or better use of words would be a drug dealer. He lived way across town and I got clean so the thought of seeing him here was just my shit luck.

"I'm fine," I said in a monotone voice and tried to walk past him but he stopped me. "What's the rush, I was going to ask if you wanted to have a good time with me and some buds I have in town. Come on, I have a feeling it's going to _snow_ tonight."

He made emphasis on the word snow, which made me want to punch the smug look off his face.

"I'm good." I pushed past him hoping he didn't hear the hesitation in my voice.

"If you change your mind you know how to find me!" he yelled out before I entered the store.

I forgot why I was even there but knew it was something important to me. I wandered around until I saw some flowers. Instead of looking through them I just grabbed one bouquet and quickly paid, making my way back to Bianca's grave.

I took my time and just sat with my back resting on the side of the grave. There was something comforting about just being there. When it was fully dark out I decided to go home.

I was still on edge with seeing Ethan again and even tempted to call him, I still remembered his number even though I deleted it a long time ago. I didn't want to think about it so I headed to my room.

Kayla and Will were nowhere to be found so I shrugged till I got to my room. My door was open and a shirtless Will was standing beside my bed with a book.

My _book_.

A wave of emotion rushed over me that I quickly ignored.

It was my nightmare journal, years ago when I was in therapy my psychologist recommended I take notes of all the dreams. I didn't like the idea, for this reason, someone could just read it.

 _"Nico,_ _you're_ _home_ _early_. _"_

I could see the horror in Will's eyes when he noticed I was looking at the book, _he_ _read_ _it_.

"Why are you doing in here?" I asked sounding colder than I meant to.

"I was sweeping a-and this fell on the floor and I might have seen the drawings and read a page. I'm sorry," he said looking like a kid who just got caught with something he wasn't meant to have.

Blame it on being tired or my asshole personality but I just flipped him off and walked to the back porch.

I wasn't mad at him. If anyone found that book and read it, I'd be furious. Even if _Hazel_ had found it I would have been mad, so why wasn't I now?

I didn't bother turning on the light so I just sat in the dark looking out at the average-sized yard. I sighed and patted my pockets for my cigarettes.

I was glad to see I had a lighter in the almost empty pack. A few minutes and half a cigarette later, Will was walking out the door. He now had on a plain white t-shirt and I was kinda disappointed by that.

"Nico, can I talk to you?" he asked sitting next to me.

"Looks like you are now, so I'd say you can. Congrats."

I brought the cigarette to my lips before he spoke again. "Are you oka- are you shaking?" he asked, taking my hand in his.

It felt warm and a sense of calmness washed over me. "I'm just cold," I lied with ease.

I was still freaked out about earlier and seeing Ethan again. What if I said yes, I hesitated. I actually had to think about it, what was wrong with me? Was being high that important to me anymore?

I couldn't think about it or I'd go even crazier. Will shook his head. "You're lying."

 _How the hell did he know that?!_

 _I was a good liar when I needed to be._

"Will, just let it g-" he shook his head.

"You don't have to explain but don't lie."

Without saying anything he took the cigarette out of my fingers and put it out it before pulling me into a hug. My instincts of pulling away didn't kick in like they normally did. Instead, I hugged back.

I blamed the tiredness.

We stayed like that for several minutes and some part of me didn't want him to pull away. "If you want to talk about it I'm here, a no judgment zone."

The way he said it was like _scout's_ _honor_ or something made me smile at him. He pulled me off the bench and inside.

"I say we watch a marathon of some comedy on Netflix."

He stopped in the living room letting go of my hand I hadn't even realized he had.

"Don't you work tomorrow and isn't Kayla going to want her bed when she gets back?"

"I don't have to leave till lunch and Kayla is staying with one of her friends, apparently she had too much fun and was just staying with one of the people she was meeting up with."

"Sure, what the hell? But the show has to be a dark comedy instead," I said taking a seat on the couch.

"That's the spirit!" he yelled at flopped down beside me.

"What about 'Insatiable'?"

"Works for me," I muttered.

The show started and we watched one episode after another.

"Okay but I kinda love Bob and Bob," Will said.

"Same here, dude."

It had to be at least four in the morning by now but we just were hooked. It was nice not having to think about anything just focus on the show and watch Patty fuck everything up, pretty much.

Somehow we ended up making tacos with hot dogs in them at five in the morning and after we ate them we passed out on each other. It was a shitty night then with Will's help he turned it into one of the best nights I had in a long time.


	22. Will: Chapter XXII

I woke up with a stiff neck and a warm body on top of me. It was similar to the time we woke up in the tent wrapped in each other's arms. I carefully got up without waking Nico. The house was a mess of taco and hot dog toppings from the night before.

I quickly got dressed and was out the door for an early run. It was seven a.m. and I had only about an hours sleep last night. We probably shouldn't have watched so many episodes of "Insatiable" last night.

It was fun though it seemed to put us both in a better mood. I was a little upset that today was the day I had to drop Kayla off at the airport. It was rare for us to see each other more than once every six or so months.

It sucked living so far from each other. A nice morning run was needed to get the anxiety off my chest. Ever since I started running the anxiety had gone down a lot or at least the panicky part of it had.

It was a way to get rid of the unwanted feelings and the unwanted calories of all the sweets I ate. A win, win if you ask me.

Since moving here I normally did eight or so laps around the block, two miles give or take some.

When I got home Nico is slowly waking up and Kayla was singing so I assumed she was in the shower. I cleaned up the living room and kitchen while Nico made breakfast.

"Looks like I missed a party last night," Kayla said referring to the mess I hadn't gotten to yet.

"More like binging a show and stuffing your face into the a.m," Nico commented. He seemed like he was in a way better mood than last night and I was happy to see that.

"Mmh," Kayla said with a knowing smirk. I rolled my eyes at her and she winked.

 _There was no winning with her._

I got ready for work and Kayla packed her things after we finished breakfast. Nico insisted to go with us to the airport and drop me off at work.

"It's not a question Will, now get in the car before we are all late," he demanded.

"Damn that boy is going to be the death of you," Kayla muttered before walking off. I knew she was right somehow, even if we were just roommates there was something about him.

I didn't have much time to think about it before we were at the airport again and I was fighting back tears. I knew it was pointless, I was a cryer and there was nothing wrong with that.

"I'll be back so soon you won't even miss me," she said pulling me in for the fifteenth hug.

She even hugged Nico. "Don't go easy on him and if you ever need help talking some sense into him you know who to call."

He only grinned and hugged her back. "Gods I don't even like hugs," Nico muttered.

"This family has converted you, we give good hugs," Kayla grinned.

"Oh and don't be too kinky you two!" she practically yelled and ran off before I could stop her. Nico only laughed at her comment.

"You know I think I might miss her while she's gone."

I smiled at him, "yeah she does that to people."

It didn't take long for me to be in front of Latte's not wanting to go in and work.

"What time do you want me to pick you up at?" Nico asked. I forgot he would have to come back for me. "Six should be good, thanks by the way."

He nodded and drove off clearly speeding, it was a wonder he didn't get tickets for as fast as he drove.

"Yo, yo, about time amigo!" Leo yelled running over and hugging me. "I know, this place must have been boring without me."

"You know it!" Leo always seemed to be in a good mood and it was nice seeing him. I enjoyed working with him, he made it . . . _interesting_.

"So how was the trip, Pipes said you and your boyfriend shared a tent and everything."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Funny, but seriously it was really fun, you and Calypso need to join us the next time."

"Definitely," Leo said getting back to work. I took a few orders and cleaned the tables off when I smelled something burning.

"Leo! What's that smell?" I asked running to the kitchen. A tray of cookies sat there on fire. By on fire, I mean it literally. They were each on fire.

"I tried to cook them with a blowtorch- something I had seen online and thought, Leo you could do that. And uh now we are here . . ."

I ran to get a fire extinguisher and put them out much to Leo's protests. "One day you're going to kill us here," I said.

"Can't argue with that, amigo."

I sat out in the garden area behind the cafe and caught up on my sleep. The sun was warm mixed with the slight breeze that had been going on. The smell of a beach washed over me and I opened my eyes to see Calypso.

"Sorry, I was just going to leave this here for when you woke up," she said, setting down a small basket of fresh strawberries. The strawberries from her garden were always so sweet, almost like candy.

"No worries, I should probably be getting up soon anyway. Thanks for the berries," I grinned at just the thought of them.

"Any time," she said cheerfully and disappeared into the garden.

Don't ask me how but she did. It was a small area but when all the plants and flowers were in bloom it was difficult to see past anything. They took over everything and that was them all perfectly cut back too.

The rest of the day was pretty good and there were no more fires since Leo was now banned from using the blowtorch indoors.

Nico stopped by early and ordered a hot chocolate. I didn't know why anyone would want a hot drink in the middle of summer but he was a weirdo.

"Sure thing," I fix up the drink and he waited for me to finish up my shift. His hair was brushed back and he was wearing a button up black shirt. He was clearly more dressed up than this morning.

"Is there a reason you're so fancy?" I asked locking the door behind me. We got in his Mustang and drove to pick up food to take back home and finish "Insatiable."

"I had a job interview thing, it's not a big deal. Who knows if I'll eve-" I cut him off before he could say anything negative about the interview. "Shh, knowing you, you did a great job and they would just be stupid heads if they didn't hire you."

He laughed at my comment. " _Stupid_ _heads?_ Where the actual fuck did you get that from?" he asked in laughter.

"Shut up," I said laughing too.

We ended up stopping at Wendy's much to Nico's comments of "We are not getting fast food."

We both got chicken nuggets and I got a vanilla frosty to dip my fries in. "That is so gross," Nico said.

I gasped dramatically which caused him to look over at me with an unamused face. "Uh, how can this be 'gross'?" I took a fry out of the bag and before he could protest I dunked it into the frosty and then into his mouth.

"Dammit Solace," he said angrily eating the fry. I knew he liked it even if he would never admit to it.

When we got home we sat back on the couch and enjoyed the food and finished our show.

"I'm glad he's dead, bitch deserved it," Nico said flipping off the tv. "I mean I don't condone any violence but I agree."

We spent a few minutes talking about the show and soon realized it was midnight. It felt like we had just sat down and now hours later it wasn't.


	23. Nico: Chapter XXIII

I grabbed the ingredients for the cake and got to work. I pre-heated the oven, made sure the eggs and sugar were mixed well, added the flour and baking soda and didn't make a total mess when I did.

I was making one of my family's favorite cakes, tiramisu cake. It's a simple layer cake my mom used to make every once in a while. It was delicious!

I was off today so I figured why not make a cake. Will seemed a little upset about Kayla leaving, I can't blame him I kinda missed her too.

It was fun having someone to pick on Will with as well.

I set the timer and put the cake in the oven. Lately, Will and I had been binge-watching shows on Netflix, it was pretty fun I'll admit. It was better than sitting alone in my room trying to sleep yet failing every time.

For some reason, I also haven't been having nightmares. Ever since the camping trip, I haven't had a single nightmare, and since the camping trip, I've slept next to Will. I don't know if he's the reason why or my body is just too tired to have another nightmare or what but it has been nice.

I hated night terrors so much. Then again I don't think too many people liked them. I cleaned up the house until the cake was finished and I took it out till it was cool enough to add the frosting.

The one my mom made always had these small frosting roses on, so I did that. I remembered going through a baking phase and I bought frosting tips and everything. When I was done with the cake Will walked through the door.

"I smell sugar!" was the first thing he said. I didn't think when I said: "Yeah it's me, cause I'm just so sweet."

I had to pull the cake away from him before he drooled on it. "It's for later, dumbass."

He frowned and sat the take-out on the counter, I was lazy and told him to bring something home. Gods I was starting to sound like a housewife or something.

My phone buzzed and it was Hazel.

 **Hazel:** _**Don't be surprised if Persephone stops by tomorrow . . .**_

 **Nico:** _ **What, why?!**_

 **Hazel:** _ **She did that to me today and apparently we are going to dads for a formal wedding anniversary thing.**_

 **Nico:** _ **UGH! No. the last time I was there all he did was tell me I was not getting any younger and I should be getting into a serious relationship. Hazel don't make me go, I can pretend I have some horrifying infectious disease or something.**_

 **Hazel:** _**If Frank and I have to go you're going too. Plus you could always take a certain blond ;)**_

I groaned and set my phone down giving up on life. I had nothing against my father or step-mother but I just hated going over there. If Persephone's mother was still alive that would be fun to show up with a boyfriend though.

My step-hag or step-grandmother, _same thing,_ didn't approve of my taste in guys. My dad surprised me when I came out. Growing up where and when he did I figured he'd not approve, but he just said: "Why do I give a shit who you fuck."

The only thing was that he wanted to see me in a relationship. Something about keeping up the family image. I have never brought anyone home for the pure reason of having my family scare them off. It's lame but I never even introduced Hazel to any of my "boyfriends" if you could even call them that.

I had two and both were just as douchey as the other.

Will snapped me out of my thoughts by handing me the plate and heading to the couch.

"What will it be tonight? I was thinking 'Dexter', you'd probably like picking out want they do wrong with the blood-splatter shit."

I sat next to him with my feet on the coffee table and my plate resting on my lap. "Sure, I like a good serial killer show."

A few episodes in and I loved the show. It wasn't too bad with how real things were either. "I feel like Kayla is Deb," Will commented.

"Oh, with the mouth of a sailor, she definitely is."

Will ended up eating two pieces of the cake I made and somehow got frosting in his eyebrow, how does someone even do that?

I laughed at his struggle to get it off with his tongue. Dammit, I was staring again, I needed to stop doing that.

"Nico, I am going to ask you a very serious question," the look on his face told me otherwise but I nodded for him to continue.

"Do you have a boat?" I laughed. Through the show, he would ask if I felt like this or if I ever killed anyone and threw their bodies in the ocean or something.

"Last time, Will, I am not Dexter Morgan."

"But you didn't answer the question . . ." Instead of answering him I just winked. Of course, I didn't own a boat if I did I would probably be lost or dead out at sea. _Maybe both._

He gasped like he normally did with a level of dramatics that would make all the drama clubs jealous of him.

"I share a house with a serial killer!" he screamed. Our neighbors probably hated us by now. It was one a.m. and Will was yelling about how I was a serial killer. Normal Wednesday night or Thursday morning depending on how you wanted to look at it.

"Will I am not a serial killer. Keep your voice down."

"But that's what they all say! You're going to kill me next aren't you?" I laughed at him. I didn't know what came over me but I covered his mouth and moved closer so he couldn't run.

"Yep, Will your next on my list," I whispered close to his ear. Our eyes met and it was quiet for a minute. Until he flipped us off the couch and had my hands pinned to the floor.

"Nope. Not going to happen I have the reflexes of a cat on meth or something," he said while straddling me. It took a lot not to be turned on by his actions. He was so close to me and it wouldn't take much just to lean up a few inches and kiss him.

"Meth or something?" I laughed. His grip wasn't tight on my wrists so when I slipped free and pushed him it was pretty easy. "Cat-like reflexes, huh?" I asked and ran to the kitchen.

He chased me and we just ran around the house like two insane, sleep deprived, twenty-year-olds. When he got me cornered in the hall he grinned like he won the game. I knew I had a trick up my sleeve though.

When he got closer all I did was look at his lips. I had no idea where the confidence came from but I drew closer to him until I could feel his messy golden locks in my face.

"I think I might be the one who wins," I said huskily without much thought. Before he had time to kiss me I pushed past him and ran to the couch.

"That was a low move di Angelo!" he said running back to me.

It was funny to see him flustered, and part of me was glad I could do that to him.

Though I was never going to admit that to anyone.


	24. Will: Chapter XXIV

The afternoon breeze felt nice compared to the hot sun shining down on me. Normally I worked inside making coffees and cleaning up the cafe, but today was different. Leo wasn't feeling well and I was the one sent to do his work.

It wasn't so bad, at first it was nice being outside in the garden behind the cafe. After almost a full day of work picking fruits, herbs, and flowers for Latte's use, it was less appealing.

The garden in the back was something I had never seen before. It was one thing looking at it but when you were there, it seemed like one wrong turn you'd end up on the other side of town.

Roses and mint took over most of the outside and stuff like tomatoes and berries were closer to the center.

Calypso owned the garden and had a true green-thumb when it came to plants. This place was another world with a mind of its own.

"Will? You dead yet?" Piper called out. I heard her walk closer, the sound of army boots became louder and louder.

"If I were dead I don't think you could be talking to me right now."

She shrugged. "I have my connections with the dead and not-so-dead." I laughed and put away the things I was using to replant a few raspberry bushes.

"Anyway your shift is up so get yo ass out of here," she said in a singsong voice.

When I pull into the garage I noticed there was a car in the driveway. It was silver and very shiny, it looked expensive even with my lack of knowledge about vehicles.

I had been driving the same truck for the last five years and still couldn't tell you much about it other than it was blue.

I hesitated before walking into the house when I heard Nico's voice and another one. He seemed pissed off and short with his answers.

"Nico, honey. I know my mother-" the feminine voice paused, hesitation laced in her tone. "Is an opinionated woman but I promise you she will be on her best behavior. I told her how important this dinner is to your father and me."

Her voice was soft and gentle, when I walked down the short hall I could see them. She looked like the embodiment for _springtime._ I don't know how else to describe her other than that. She had long wavy blonde curls and she looked to be in her mid-thirties.

Her pastel pink dress had prints of roses on and she even had a small flower crown on.

Nico was the first to notice me and when he did he smiled. "Oh, look there he is now."

I looked at him confused.

 _What was going on?_

He walked closer to me as if he were going to hug me or something. "Just go with it, please," he whispered in my ear. Before I could ask him, " _go with what?_ " he kissed me.

He leaned in and freaking kissed me. I closed my eyes and pretended this was a normal thing while I freaked the fuck out on the inside.

I'm not sure why I was freaking out as much as I was, it's not like I haven't kissed him before. The kiss was simple and quick, unlike the last time. I wished whoever this woman was would stop by more often if that meant being kissed my Nico again.

 _Wait why did I think that?_

 _Fuck, I know why I thought that._

When he pulls away and our eyes met for a brief second before he takes my hand in his. He pulled me over to the lady in our living room. She was now smiling at us.

"Oh, so this is your _boyfriend_? A pleasure to meet you."

I decided to go with it and took my hand out of Nico's, shaking her hand while Nico introduced us. "Persephone, Will. Will this is my step-mother Persephone," he said in a dead voice, void of emotion.

"Nice to meet you as well," I said linking my hand back with Nico's. Something about it just felt natural to have our hands like that. It almost seemed foreign not to have his hand laced with mine.

"As I was telling Nico, I think it would be wonderful if you could join us for a little wedding anniversary party my husband and I are throwing."

"Oh, for you and Nico's dad," I asked curiously. She nodded with a smile.

"Yes, it's our ten year anniversary and we thought we would throw a small celebration."

"Wow, congratulations! When is the party?"

She reached into her purse and handed me a dark invitation. It was black with a gold detailing around the edges.

"Sunday, but I was thinking you could stay the weekend. I know it's short notice but I couldn't get through to Nico."

"Sounds fine to me, I don't think we're doing anything this weekend anyway," I say honestly.

She grinned and hugged us.

"Petals and roses that is awesome, I can't wait to see you two there."

I didn't see what the big deal was or why I now felt Nico's death glare on me now.

When she was gone I finally asked Nico what just happened and not that I'm complaining but why did he kiss me and when did I become his boyfriend. The whole thing just seemed funny to me.

Nico turned to face me still glaring but also a bit flustered for some reason.

"I'm sorry I sprang that on to you. You don't have to go I can say you're sick or som-" I cut him off.

"I don't mind going or I wouldn't have said I would." he seemed almost relieved by that comment and his glare had faded.

"Thank you. So I uh, kissed you because I may have told her you are my boyfriend . . . Hazel also might have put the idea in my head and I should have told you before just doing that. Fuck I am an idiot."

I laughed at how worked up he was getting over it. He didn't seem like the type to blabber on like he was now, I found it cute. "Seriously don't worry about it. I can help you out with the party."

I walked over to him and held up the hem on my shirt, he eyed me questionably.

"Feel my shirt," I told him.

He hesitated but still did what I said.

"You know what kind of material it is?" I asked trying not to laugh.

He looked even more confused as to where I was going with that. "No," he said somewhat glaring at me again.

"It's boyfriend material," I laughed. I had been wanting to use that line forever but most people already knew the joke. Nico smiled at the comment, "wow, I'm fake dating a dork."

"A dork with great jokes and soft shirts," I commented.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever makes you sleep at night," he said with a smirk.

After dinner, he started to tell me about the party and why he didn't want to go.

"My family, for the most part, is really formal and its always so uncomfortable over there. Since my mother died and my dad remarried, the house is obviously different and it's weird being there without th- her," he stopped himself from saying something else.

I pretended I didn't notice his mistake at the end and tried to lighten the mood.

"Well maybe now that you got such a hot and funny boyfriend you can let loose and have fun this time."

"Do you own a suit?" he asked me raising a brow.

I shook my head no because I obviously did not. The only time I even wore a suit was when it was my dads third- no wait, sixth wedding and that was a good ten years ago.

"Well clear your day tomorrow because we are going shopping for one. It will be more difficult on such short notice, but I think I might know someone."

He got up and grabbed his phone texting someone about my suit. "Have you ever been fitted for a suit before?" he asked.

"Dude, the last time I wore a suit was when I was thirteen."

He sighed and looked at his phone. "We leave here at six a.m."

I nodded not knowing what I was getting myself into.

 _Who shops for a suit at six in the morning?_

"Oh, and don't forget to pack a bag for tomorrow night since we're staying at my dad's or what I like to call it, _the_ _pits of Hell._ "

 _And he calls me the dramatic one?_

We ended up watching another episode of "Dexter" and then going to bed.

"We can talk about more shit tomorrow," he slurred tiredly. He was so cute when he was sleepy.

It was the first night in almost two weeks since we actually slept in our own beds.

It was weird not falling asleep to the sound of someone on the tv yelling or someone beside me softly snoring and I wasn't sure I liked it.


	25. Nico: Chapter XXV

I yawned for the tenth time since we got out of the car, all Will did was yawn and that in turn made me yawn. It was not a fun cycle to have at six something in the morning while shopping for a suit.

I led the way to the only place I knew would let me get a suit that fit Will in this short of time. I knew my dad was a bit picky when it came to this kind of stuff.

Suits were a di Angelo must. Besides having several funeral businesses my dad owned a couple of shops in the United States.

Consisting of high-end, good quality suits, was the perfect cover for the real family business. The details aren't important however when Hazel started living with us years ago my dad changed a few things about his "business."

"Here's the place," I stopped in front of the shop. The name was Italian, my mother's maiden name to be in fact. I looked over to see him staring at the black and gold sign. "Barone," I told him.

We walk into the store and the smell of men's cologne hit me in the face. It had been years since I was in any of these shops, I almost forgot how strong they smelled.

The woman at the front desk walked over to us with a smile plastered on her tanned skin. She had short blonde hair perfectly brushed back. "Nico, how have you been? It's been too long."

Her voice annoyed me but she was nice enough to me that I did my best not to show it.

"Great," I say shortly. "My _boyfriend_ evidently does not have a suit and we need one today," I told her getting to the point, the less time spent here the better.

She turned to Will and introduced herself, I would have introduced them but I forgot her name.

"I'm Valentina Diaz," she said to him warmly. "So what's the occasion?" she asked looking at both of us.

"My fathers and Persephone's wedding anniversary," I coldly said.

"So it is."

She looked Will up and down trying to figure out what would look best on him.

"Follow me I think I might have a look to fit you rather well," she turned and started walking to the side wall.

It was covered with different brands of shirts, most being Italian.

"For your father's tastes I recommend this," she looked through the shirts on the wall. They were all white and basically all looked the same, the only difference being the zeros at the end of its price tag.

She sorted out one of the white shirts and held it up.

"This is a Canali white stretch cotton slim fit dress shirt, it's off-white look would pair well with your tan complexion."

In other words, it's an off white button up shirt that cost almost three hundred dollars. I nodded and told her it would be great, whatever got us out of here the better. "How about the Brioni black Madison suit?" she asked holding it up.

She handed it to me to look it over, the color was more of a really dark gray than a black. "Try it on," I told Will.

Valentina found one in the correct size for Will and he walked to the dressing room. She leaves me alone with him as she helps out the other person in the store.

I wait outside the dressing room door listening to calming music that played throughout the store.

"What do you think?" I asked Will after several minutes. He was taking a long time and I was growing impatient.

He opened the door to let me see for myself. "It looks good on your shoulders, but it almost should be taken in at the waist," I more or less talked to myself.

Will laughed. "I didn't realize you were now an expert. I don't even know want a Brioni is but at this point, I feel like I shouldn't ask."

"I'm not. My dad just takes it seriously. And Brioni is the brand of the suit you're wearing."

I walk out and wait for him to get dressed in his normal clothes again.

Valentina showed up again this time with a tie and shoes in hand.

"I thought the yellow tie would work nicely with his blond hair," she explained while wrapping everything up. Will was looking around while I paid.

"The total comes to $6,965 even, but since you're family I can bring it down to a thousand."

I thank the gods I did not have to pay the full price, my father may have money but I sure as hell didn't.

The suit was five thousand on its own not to mention the shirt almost cost as much as the tie. I was thankful Will did not hear how much the bill was because I somehow knew he would never agree to wear it then.

I handed her the cash I had and we left. "That place looked expensive, are you sure you don't want me to pay you back?" Will asked when we got back into the car.

"No, you're doing me a favor by going. Plus I got the family discount, just don't get anything on you when you wear it."

We stopped at Latte's on the way back to get some breakfast and coffee. "We should go over a story for how we started dating," Will said with his mouth full.

"What do you got?" I asked sipping on my coffee ignoring the muffin I was forced to get.

"Well, I say we stay as close to the truth as possible so we don't mess up, you know? So we could say something like, you were looking for a roommate and I was looking for a place and we hit it off. We can use the camping trip to help out too."

He took another bite of some strawberry baked good and continued to talk.

"You can say you know me from school and we started to date after I moved in?"

I nod, it was better than what I had which was nothing at the moment.

"Sounds good, when we get back, pack your shit because we leave at seven."

We finished up our food and headed home. The rest of the day was uneventful though I did help Will pack and saw just how colorful his closet really was.

On the way to my father's house, I told Will a bit about my family leaving out Bianca and my mother.

"My dad is fine as long as you don't make him mad, he has a resting bitch face so just ignore that. Persephone is fine I guess just don't by whatever means start talking about flowers."

"Persephone's mother is a homophobic bitch, for the most part, she is nice to Hazel but hates me because I'm gay . . . and I might have slapped her when I was younger."

I laughed at the time she found out and everyone else was just like: _"we pretty much knew already."_

I stop at the gate and push the number to get in. I parked the car by Hazel's and put the key in the visor.

"What are you doing?" Will questioned.

"My dad will have the cars moved in the morning because he can't have the house looking like there are people actually living in it."

I was a bit cranky about being there.

Will smiled and took my hand in his. It was reassuring somehow.

I walked to the familiar glass doors and into the house. My father should really learn to lock the doors, some random person could just walk in and he wouldn't know till someone watched the security footage.

"Nico, Will!" Hazel ran over to see us.

"I see you took my idea," she smirked down at our joined hands. "Shut up," I groaned.

"Anyway, dad said you two would be staying in your old room, Neek's."

I frowned at what she said. I hated the damn room. I quickly recovered myself before Hazel tells us to join her and Frank for a movie.

One thing I did like about my father's house was the theater room. It was a cinema at home, with a screen that covered the wall, comfy couches, and surround sound. I felt Will's hand tightened on my own as we walked along.

 _Why were we still holding hands?_

"So where's dad?" I asked.

"He was leaving when I got here, something about a problem at one of the funeral homes. Persephone was going to visit her mother, but I don't know if she left yet or not."

We had the house basically to ourselves more or less. We sat on the large sofa in the middle for the best view.

"I can't believe you would ever leave this place," Will was looking around the room as if it were some kind of magical thing.

I said nothing in response, I didn't feel like talking about why I hated it here so much. Luckily for me, the movie started and we didn't have to talk much.

We decided to watch The Purge movies. The first movie was my favorite, Hazel, on the other hand, liked the third movie, Election Year. Will said he never watched them before and that's what made Hazel put them on for us to binge.

As the second movie ended and the third began Frank got up to get candy, he wasn't really into the gore or violence Hazel and I enjoyed in these movies.

Sure they weren't the best movies ever but it's something that Hazel and I enjoyed watching together.

Frank handed out food, candy, and drinks when he came back. Will, of course, took a candy bar without hesitation.

 _Where did he put all the shit he ate?_

I've seen him shirtless and he was fit like he went to the gym and ate an actual healthy diet.

It pissed me off.

We all were pretty quiet throughout the movies and didn't notice how late it was till I looked at my watch. After the movies were over and the lights were brighter I saw the small pile of wrappers Will had between us.

"How can you eat so much candy?"

"Because it tastes good, wanna try?" he offered me a piece of the candy bar he still had left and I shoved it away.

"No, gross."

"But how could you not like sugar?" he seemed like I just personally offended him. By this time Frank was passed out sleeping and Hazel was flipping through the movies dad had on hand.

"Because I don't and it's gross," I said bluntly.

The room darkened again and Hazel had turned on another movie. I wasn't sure what it was other than horror.

"Just try a piece," Will whispered to me seeing a new movie start.

I heard the door behind us open but before I got to see who it is Will shoved the chocolate in my mouth. I nearly spit it out because I didn't like sweets but then remembered I was not in my own house and the sofa probably cost more than me.

"I hate you," I muttered. He poked my nose as I glared at him.

"Nope, you like me," he said in a singsong tone. The smirk on his face made me want to slap him or kiss- no slap him, definitely that.

"How are you so sure?" I questioned. The figure that walked in was now sitting next to Hazel and they were talking. I wasn't interested in who it was so my attention was on Will.

"Because I know things," he said less confident as I got closer.

It was kinda fun to see his reactions on the few times I felt confident enough to tease him. He would act so different than how he really was, I liked seeing him flustered over little things.

He gasped as I was practically sitting on his lap by now. I looked into his bright blue eyes, even in the dark they were still bright. I placed an evil smile on my face just before I took the candy from him and ran away.

"You asshole!" I heard him yell then apologized to the people in the room.

Probably for waking Frank.

When I got back he was talking to the same person Hazel was. I felt my breathing quicken before I took a seat next to Will and looked over to see my father.

"Tempismo perfetto, Nico." I froze, _'perfect timing'_ indeed, I thought sarcastically.


	26. Will: Chapter XXVI

Waking up at the di Angelo's was eventful, to say the least. To start out my morning I was kicked out of bed at eight, literally. My wake up call was Nico kicking my back till I was on the floor.

"Ow! What the hell dude?!"

He only groaned in response.

Once we were dressed Nico led us to the dining room. The house was huge. It looked like a darker version of the Carrington's house from the show Dynasty.

The ceilings were high and the whole place was nothing like I had ever seen before. The tiled floors were so shiny you could see your reflection.

The dining room was no different. A black chandelier was the center of attention, perfectly lined up with the dark cherry table. On the table was a place set for everyone and just about all the breakfast food you could imagine perfectly displayed.

Hazel and Frank were already there and eating by the time Nico and I made it to the table.

Nico was glaring more this morning than normal. I wondered if it had anything to do with the conversation he had with his father last night.

 _What did they say to each other?_

"Morning," I greeted Hazel and Frank.

"Good morning, how'd you two sleep?" Hazel asked.

I looked over to Nico who was face down on the table. "Good, till I was kicked onto the floor," I chuckled.

Frank laughed.

"Yeah, he does that sometimes," Hazel smiled along.

Persephone and another woman entered the room. They looked like they could be related but unlike Persephone, the woman had shoulder-length brown hair.

"Good morning everyone," Persephone sang.

When who I assumed to be Persephone's mother started talking Nico lifted his head off the table. The woman ignored him while she talked with Hazel.

Frank kept glancing over at Nico like any minute he was going to grab a butter knife and throw it at the woman.

Nico gulped down his coffee and a piece of toast. The woman's gazed looked over to Nico then to me. I was going to say hi when Nico reached over for my hand and pulled on it. When I turned to see him looking at me then at the door.

I finished my food which was freaking awesome by the way and followed Nico out of the house.

"That woman fucking pisses me off!" he yelled patting his pockets. He pulled a cigarette out and tried to light it but his hands were shaking.

Something that I had noticed was that when he got mad enough he would shake.

"Nico, just breathe for a second." I made sure to keep my voice soft and calm when I spoke.

"I should have just told them to fuck off and stayed home."

He finally lit the cigarette before taking a few drags out of it. I personally never fully understood why people smoked, I tried it before and it tasted awful. I think I spent five minutes coughing afterward.

I took a seat and gestured for Nico to sit beside me. We looked over the backyard . . . or whatever part of the house we were at I honestly could not tell you at this point.

"Look at it this way, she didn't say anything mean or disrespectful." I tried to think of something to add but that was the best I could do with the information given.

"That's because she didn't talk to me," he muttered. I wondered why he cared for her opinion so much, it didn't seem like something he would do. Nico had always seemed like the kind of guy who did what he wanted, not letting others opinions bother him.

"Nothing is better than mean comments?" I said as more of a question than anything else. He looked over to me with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you like fish?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Like to eat or as pets?" the question confused me.

Nico jumped up and walked off. I assumed I was supposed to follow him so that's what I did.

We walked along a stone path to a pond. The water was practically crystal clear, you could see all the fish inside. Plants surrounded it of all different kinds, some even flowers.

"My dad stole them from his brother and after a few years still hasn't given them back," Nico chuckled.

"Why did he take them?" I asked curiously now.

"Don't know, he doesn't get along with any of his siblings too well. Let's just say the one is really bossy and the other, the one he stole the fish from always sided with the other."

I nod thinking of how my dad was with his sister. They were polar opposites and could fight like cats and dogs some days. Though I knew my aunt would bale my father out of whatever he got himself into.

We stayed outside for a while watching the colorful fish and listening to the calming waters. It wasn't until Frank came out to get us did I realize how late it was.

When we were inside Hazel was setting up a board game. It looked like Clue.

"I thought we could bust out the board games for old times sake," Hazel said setting up the pieces.

"So who picked Clue?" I asked taking a seat on the soft carpet. The room we were in was cozy and the perfect place to play a mystery game.

"I did. We found it in the basement and thought it looked cool," Frank said.

It was kinda a funny sight seeing a guy like Frank sit cross-legged, he looked like a giant six-year-old.

"Nico, go over the rules while I set the game up," Hazel beamed. Nico sat down next to Hazel and without looking at the instructions started to speak.

"Since there are four of us we will be only using four characters. In the game, we have to figure out three things about the murder: the murderer, the weapon, and the location it took place."

As he talked Hazel shuffled the cards and had us pick our characters. "Pick them without looking, it makes it more interesting," she suggested.

Once we did, she took one card from the three piles in front of her. Without looking she put one of each into an envelope. This contained the answers to who the murderer was, what they used, and where they did it.

She took the rest of the cards and dealt them clockwise to each of us until there were no more cards left. "Let the murder begin," Nico remarked.

Since Frank was Miss Scarlet he got to go first. I wasn't sure on the rules of the game fully so I just waited for them to tell me when my turn was. Nico picked Professor Plum, Hazel chose Mr. Green, and I got Mrs. White. We all listened and picked the cards at random if you couldn't tell.

When it got to my turn I rolled the dice and moved three spaces forward, I was planning on going to the kitchen.

The game went on with us suggesting the crime when we entered a room, some of the suggestions were way off but some were closer to the answer than I thought.

The whole time playing the game Nico was focused on getting the answers, his face was, for the most part, blank except for the way his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"It was Mrs. White, with the dagger, in the guest house," Nico spoke with confidence, sure of his answer. When it was time to open up the envelope it was exactly what Nico said.

After the game ended we were told to wash up for dinner and be in the dining room in twenty minutes.

Nico made me wear a button up shirt and a pair of my nicer pants.

"Do you always get this dressy for dinner?" I asked.

It was something I was not used to, back at home, especially when I lived with my dad it was a plus if you showed up to the table in underwear. You would be surprised by how many times that rule was not followed.

"Yes and no, when it was just Hazel and me, we didn't obviously, but when my dad's home it's like an untold rule."

I just hoped I didn't do anything to embarrass myself while I was here. It was weird to see the more personal side of Nico. The place he grew up was nice and all, but seemed lonely and cold, literally on the last one. This place felt like it was underground in Antarctica or something.

We walked out into the hall and I followed Nico as usual. He seemed off in some place in his head when we came to the stairs. He wasn't watching what he was doing so I quickly ran ahead of him before he could trip.

I luckily caught him mid-fall and that seemed to shake him out of his thoughts.

"What's with the grin?" was the first thing he asked.

Blame it on one too many romantic comedies or the fact I spend way too much time on Pinterest and Tumblr but before I could register what I was going to say I started talking.

"I think you just-"

"Don't you even say it," Nico warned. I ignored him and finished my sentence.

". . . fell for me," I laughed. He started to kick and swing his way out of my arms but failed. Instead, I picked him up over my shoulder and walked down the rest of the steps.

"Put me down, Solace!" he yelled. I set him down and walked to where the dining room was, for some reason no matter how lost I was I could always find food.

"A thanks would be nice you know," I said to Nico as we walked into the warmly lit room. "For what? Manhandling me, yeah that's a no."

The people in the room gave us a confused look but when the food appeared in front of me I didn't really care.

The table was set like it would have been in one of those fancy restaurants, with many forks.

"So you must be William," Nico's father Hades, soon said. He was dressed in a black suit with a black shirt, and a black tie. I think I realized who Nico got his sense of color from. "Yeah, but I prefer Will if you don't mind."

I rarely used my full name and never really liked it, I much preferred Will it was just more casual to me.

"Of course, you and my son go to the same college correct?"

I nodded then realized it probably would be better if I actually talked. "Yes, though we don't share the same classes or anything. I prefer to go during the day instant of the odd creepy hours of the night."

He laughed at that for some reason. He didn't seem as scary as I thought he would have been, he looked intimidating but the way he looked at Persephone made me smile. He seemed to really care for her.

Demeter, Persephone's mother stayed quiet for most of the dinner but she didn't glare too much, so I say it was a win. We talked about school and how Nico is going to be graduating soon. It was a weird set up but technically Nico was done with school but not fully graduated.

I have no idea what he meant when I asked and my anxiety stopped me from asking more stupid questions.

By the time dessert came out, I was stuffed and that was saying something. But I had to eat the cake or my name would not be Will Cake Loving Solace. Okay, it wasn't now but I wish it was that would be a rocking middle name.

"I think I'm going to gain twenty pounds just looking at this cake," I joked. It was chocolate with more chocolate and wisps of whip cream on top with caramel.

They seemed to laugh at that comment.

"I know I'll have to workout longer tomorrow," Persephone giggled.

Overall I thought the dinner went well. His dad seemed nice which was shocking by the way Nico had described him, though he was right about the resting bitch face.


	27. Nico: Chapter XXVII

It was late and Will would not stop tossing and turning in bed. "If you don't stop that I'm going to suffocate you with a pillow," I hissed.

"I need some water," he kicked off the blankets and walked to the door. "If I'm not back in five minutes please come find me," he said before walking out the door. I laid back down and tried to fall asleep before he came back, but it wasn't working.

I looked over at the clock and sighed at the time. "02:40," I grumbled. Will had been gone for a total of twenty minutes. I debated if I should go look for him or just try and sleep. The question was answered for me when I heard the bark of a dog.

I jumped up and made my way down the almost pitch black halls. "Will?" I whisper-yelled. My feet were cold when they hit the tiled floor. I made my way to the kitchen but found no sight of the blond.

"Where the fuck did he go now?" I asked myself. Checking the rooms around the kitchen, nothing. The barking stopped for a little but started up again. I followed the sound down the hall and to one of the rooms near the basement.

"Nico! Why didn't you tell me you guys had a dog?" he was sitting on the floor petting the dogs stomach. The dog was black and fluffy but also was the size of a small house. It was some weird mix, I didn't know exactly of what.

"That's because dad usually has Cerberus outside, he likes it out there better."

The dog literally had a house with everything you could think of, even a treat dispenser. The dog was a guard dog and normally wasn't keen on meeting new people. It was odd seeing him take such a liking to Will so quick.

"Aw but he's too cute to not be mentioned," Will grinned. I glared at him, I wanted to go to sleep but no instead I was standing in the dark watching my roommate pet a dog.

"I thought you were getting a drink?" I asked. "Well I was but then I saw a dog and followed it . . . then kinda got lost," he mumbled the last part.

I sighed and sat down. It wasn't until I followed Will's gaze did I realized what room we were in. My stomach sank. Seeing the old picture of _her_.

When she had died most of her pictures disappeared into one of the spare rooms, this must have been one of those rooms.

It hurt too much to look at them, one thing my dad and I could agree on. When Hazel moved in we had new pictures put up and then even more when Persephone moved in. I forgot we even had half of these.

"She looks like you," Will said softly. I was suddenly grateful for it being so dark, the only light in the room was from the moonlight through the window.

"Yeah, she got more of our mom's features though," I muttered.

We could have passed as twins when we were younger but as we grew up I showed more of my fathers features as she didn't.

"Why don't you have the picture up anymore there so pretty?" Will asked, then in a panicky tone quickly added: "Shit I shouldn't have asked that I'm sorry."

"It's fine it's not like you were the drunk who hit her," I said bitterly. "We took them down after she died, it was too much to see them around everywhere."

I felt my eyes start to water the longer I looked up at the picture of her smiling.

"It was her birthday in that picture. We were visiting family in Italy when my parents surprised her with a small photo session.

She was talking about it before and how she loved the older victorian looking portraits. It was nice to see her smile so much that day."

I had no idea where any of that came from but the fact that I said that much just freaked me out a little. Most of the time when I talked about Bianca to people who haven't met her (Hazel being the exception) they would be weirded out about how I spoke about her.

It was like I forgot she was dead and instead she was just off abroad visiting family or traveling the world. The reality of the whole thing was difficult to accept but sometimes my word choices weren't the best either. I stopped myself from saying much more but still, I came too close to saying more.

I got up and walked out of the room when I felt two warm arms wrap around my waist. Will rested his head on my shoulder, he didn't say anything just hugged me. I was grateful for the silence for once in my life.

"Let's get back to bed, yeah?" Will asked. I nodded and walked back to my room. I hadn't realized I was shaking until I was in bed. I ignored it and pulled up the blankets. I tossed and turned till my back was facing Will and I had almost all the blankets.

"Are you cold?" Will questioned.

"I'm fine Will, just go to bed."

The mattress shifted and before I knew it I was pulled into his chest, I was too tired and cold to complain.

The whole day had been nothing but a blur, Will and I slept in a little considering how late we were up till.

After breakfast Will went on a run with Frank and Hazel while I stayed behind and watched some weird-ass show. By the time they got back and showered, we were getting ready for the party tonight.

The place was decorated to the nine, nothing looked out of place. The flowers were perfect, the food looked like an artist made it, and the live music people were setting up.

I threw on my black suit and styled back my hair. For the most part, it was not in my face. Will walked back from the bathroom fully dressed in his suit as well.

He looked hot if I was telling the truth, but I would not tell him that, his ego was big enough. Instead, I nodded and walked out in the hall. He followed slowly behind me fiddling with his tie.

"What are you doing?" I finally turn to see him and the tie fighting.

 _And_ _yes_ _the_ _tie_ _was_ _winning_.

"Well you see I thought it should be looser but then I undid it and I can't get it back to normal," he said matter of factly.

I sighed and walked over to him, taking the tie and fixing it. I always found it weird to tie a tie on someone else, the way I learned was the way they tie them in the shops. It was way quicker that way.

"There," I also fixed up the collar of his shirt and buttoned the suit jacket. "You almost look nice," I joked.

"Wow, thanks Neek's remind me not to come to you for a pep talk," he laughed. I turned away when I realized how close we still were and started walking down the stairs.

Will pulled my hand into his and whispered in my ear. "Laugh like I just said something funny."

I was confused and my first instinct was to glare so that's what I did. "Why?" I whispered making my way through the people.

"Because what's her face is watching dumbass," he said this like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why do I care, the bitch can think what she wants," I snared.

Don't ask me why but she just always got under my skin and I wanted nothing to do with her at this point.

The party was small compared to my father's normal celebrations. It looked like there were about two hundred people there. People from his work, friends, and a few family members from Persephone's side.

"Let's dance," Will pulled me up from my seat and to the dance floor. Most of the people who were dancing were kids of the people invited but that changed as soon as the song did.

 _ **A/N: (Play the song, "Lunacy" by Rue Royale).**_

"I am not slow dancing with you," I muttered.

"Yes, you are."

He took my hands and put them on his shoulders and wrapped his own around my waist.

I glared at him.

"Why am I the girl?!" I asked irritated. "Because I am the one leading so shut up and let me have my moment."

He smiled while I glared at him. _This_ _was_ _the_ _longest_ _fucking_ _song_ _in_ _the_ _world_. Hazel and Frank were also dancing. I looked at Hazel and she mouthed the words, "stop glaring."

I groaned and try to fix my expression, _I hated this._ It felt like everyone was watching me make a fool of myself. Though I doubt anyone was even looking in my direction, my brain just liked to make me more uncomfortable with myself.

"Hey, look at me. Don't pay attention to anyone else."

I looked up and saw Will studying my face he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Plus it will look romantic as shit so people will buy the couple thing."

I laughed at him. "You really think that us staring at each other is romantic? It sounds creepy as hell."

He shook his head and grinned. I just watched him talk and hoped it wasn't a question because for some reason I could not focus on his voice, but his hair instead.

His blond wavy hair was styled neatly to the side, the way it framed his tan face, and also the fact that I just now noticed he had freckles.

"You have freckles," I blurted out.

He laughed seeing the weird look on my face. "Yeah, I've had them all my life."

Remember when I said my mind likes to make me uncomfortable, yeah well it also likes to do things without telling me.

Before I knew it my thumb was brushing over his face, brushing over the freckles that covered it.

"You act like you haven't seen someone with freckles before," he said, trying to keep a steady voice. The moment my hand touched his face I felt him shiver under _my_ touch.

"I just never noticed _you_ had them before," I muttered still looking at his face.

My thumb accidentally brushed over his lips.

This, in turn, made my gaze shift to his lips, they were so perfect. The logical side of me screamed to run away before I could do something stupid, but the rest of me slowly leaned in.

Our lips met only for a moment before the song ended. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me. Something was different in his eyes, they were almost darker if that made any sense.

I pulled away and ran off to get some air.

 _What_ _was_ _wrong_ _with_ _me?_ _I_ _seriously_ _needed to_ _stop_ _kissing_ _my_ _roommate_.


	28. Will: Chapter XXVIII

"Will, what is wrong with you?" Piper asked. She watched me as I slowly came back to reality.

"Sorry just spaced out for a minute," I said getting back to work. I felt her stare at my back but pretended everything was fine.

The whole day I was debating doing something either incredibly stupid or asking for a death wish. Ever since the party thing Nico and I went to he had been acting weird around me and I don't know why.

 _Did_ _I_ _do_ _something_ _wrong?_

 _Was_ _it_ _the_ _kiss?_

I thought about asking Piper but I wasn't totally sure she wouldn't put the missing pieces together or not. I finished washing the dishes and turned to face Piper.

"You're not leaving till you tell me why you zoned out like fifteen thousand times today?"

I sighed. I knew she would keep her word on that too. I could trust Piper, right?

"If I tell you, you have to promise it stays between us and you do not interfere unless asked to. Got it?"

She nodded, spit in her hand, and offered to shake mine. "What the hell is that? I am not shaking your hand."

"Wimp, that is how friends make promises, now shake my damn hand and tell me!"

I looked down at her hand and quickly shook it. "That was just gross," I told her while washing my hands afterward.

 _Who_ _makes_ _promises_ _that_ _way?_

I turned to see her waiting with an arched brow.

"Spill, Solace."

I sighed and thought over what to say only to realize I had nothing and was just going to wing it.

"I'm not sure how to explain this and only recently realized it myself but I think I might like well I do lik-" she cut me off.

"Just fucking tell me already!"

"I like Nico!" I yelled back at her.

Her eyes widened and she smiled from ear to ear. "Oh my gods! You finally said it! I knew it, just the way you two act, plus don't think I didn't see you two go into that cave," she winked at the last part.

I paled. "You what? But Lou and Cecil found us?"

She rolled her eyes at me like I was the kind of person who pushed the pull doors. "Yeah, that was after Percy and I found you guys. I bribed Percy away with some cookies, I had to let you two get out some of the sexual tentio-"

"Okay forget I asked. My point is that we might have kissed again and I faked being his boyfriend over the weekend to help him out with his dad and I might have really enjoyed it. And now everything is awkward between us."

She smiled warmly at me, her crazy dying down. "Tell him, you have to be honest with Nico and yourself. And let's say it doesn't work out and he never wants to see your dorky face again then so be it. Maybe you'll have to change your name and move to Mexico."

"You know that was motivational till the end."

She nodded and helped me close up Latte's or basically just clean everything up and lock the doors, till the other employees show up in an hour to take the other shifts.

Before I got into my truck Piper waved to me. "Go get that ass tonight, Will!" I felt my face light up with embarrassment. I felt really bad for the lady out walking her dog who turned around and walked in the opposite direction of Piper.

She was right though, I had to be honest and if nothing more then I'll have to live with the fact I ruined a perfectly fine friendship. My anxiety was high if you couldn't tell.

I also _might_ have had a few cups of very caffeinated tea a few minutes ago and it was kicking in.

When I got home Nico was in the kitchen cooking and listening to some kind of rock music I didn't know. "Hey," I said nervously.

He waved back in response and continued cooking. I took the time to go get a quick shower before dinner. I had to help in the garden again today and I wasn't all that clean anymore.

I walked out now dressed in a pair of fuzzy superhero pajama pants and a worn t-shirt, it was my favorite pairing. "Dinner is in the microwave," Nico said taking a seat on the couch.

I grabbed my food and walked to sit next to him. He turned on "Dexter" while we ate. I was too anxious to eat too much or even focus on the tv. What if I said something stupid and he didn't feel the same way.

When the episode ended I got up and cleaned the kitchen, I needed to think this through before I said anything.

Nico walked up behind me thinking he was being sneaky but I could see his reflection in the window. "Boo!" he yelled. Even knowing he was right there and seeing him sneak up on me I _still_ jumped.

 _It_ _made_ _no_ _sense_.

"What's up with you tonight? You hardly ate anything so don't tell me it's nothing."

I hated when people pointed stuff like that out but the other part of me felt butterflies over that fact he was even paying enough attention to notice how much I ate.

He turned me around to face him and waited for me to tell him what was wrong, but instead, I kissed him.

 _I_ _panicked_.

I pulled away and looked at him with my hands still cupping his face. Wow, his face was soft it was like silk or something.

"I like you."

I closed my eyes and waited for him to say something. When he didn't answer I was about to just run out the door maybe change my name and move to Mexico like Piper said. I could speak some Spanish thanks to Leo, though I was pretty sure most of it was not so appropriate . . . for anyone really.

Before I got the chance to leave, Nico pulled me down to kiss him again. "I like you too, no idea why though," he joked.

I grinned, he said he liked me and I didn't have to flee the country. Don't get me wrong Mexico is nice and all but I liked New York better.

The awkwardness of the last few days seemed to disappear after that and I felt my anxiety for the most part wash away. I still couldn't believe what just happened. I never really had that much interest in guys before.

I knew I liked them, just something about this seemed different from your average "he's cute" saying.

We sat on the couch half-watching Netflix and half talking about basic rules we had for each other. We both agreed to take things slow and also to not go around telling people until we were sure it could even work out.

"So does this mean I can kiss you when I want?" I asked curiously. I figured why not ask considering I already confessed to him earlier.

"No."

"What why not?" I asked with a signature dramatic gasp. He sighed, "I don't care if you kiss me just not in public, I hate PDA."

He half gave me a heart attack over a joke. He was smirking over at me as I frowned. "You know you can be a real ass sometimes."

He only smiled at my comment as if I gave him a compliment on his messy mop of hair.

Through the night I couldn't stop smiling and normally it wasn't much of a problem, I was known for smiling a lot. I liked to be nice and approachable to people, I saw no reason not to be.

"You really need to stop smiling, it's weirding me out William," Nico groaned.

He just came back inside from most likely smoking and grabbed his coffee because who doesn't drink coffee at almost midnight.

"Nope, not going to happen."

I smiled wider just to prove my point to him. He glared in response but something told me it wasn't his mean glare it was more of an "I don't want to show happiness" kind of glare.

"I know a way to get you to stop grinning like an idiot," Nico muttered taking a seat on my lap.

I like to think I am a cool calm-ish person but right now I was more flustered than Stiles in season one of Teen Wolf when Lydia basically breathed in his direction.

He leaned in and kissed me painfully slow. All my thoughts did was run from one thing to another and before I knew what was happening his tongue was in my mouth. He tasted like sugar, coffee, with a hint of the cigarette he just smoked.

 _I_ _will_ _not_ _freak_ _out_ _over_ _this_.

Was the last thing I thought before falling off the couch and taking Nico with me. "You're a dork, Solace."

"I'm your dork," I grinned.

"Don't make me regret this already," he muttered before walking off.


	29. Nico: Chapter XXIX

I woke up to another night terror, the best way to start the day.

When my breathing went back to normal and I was no longer hyperventilating, I reached over and grabbed the notebook I kept wedged into the side of my bed and the nightstand.

Taking the small pen I began to write what happened before I forgot everything as I usually did, just being left with a sense of dread.

 _"The alley of our old apartment building was where I was last. I was walking alone that night and going to get my favorite ice cream. I remember the smell of the town's foods, the small breeze from being so close to the waters. It all shifted in a flash. 'mio piccolo fratello,' was called from the other side of the gloom-filled alley."_

I tried to keep all the letters going in the correct direction but when I wrote quickly and with tears in my eyes it was difficult to even see the blur of ink.

 _"I watched as she walked closer looking the same as she did before the accident. Then in an instant mother was calling us, Bianca turned to face me with blood running down the side of her face, dripping onto her shoes. Her stare was blank and voice no longer friendly, it was rough and cold like the trips we took out to the waters near a storm. 'ho Voluto portarti con noi.' was all she said before running to me."_

I threw the book aside and blankly looked around my room. There was something beeping and I could not ignore it any longer.

I checked my alarm clock in case I might have accidentally set it then forgot, but it was off. I pull on one of my fluffy blankets and got up. There was no point in going back to sleep, I knew how that ended.

All most all month I've had one of those stupid nightmares. The last time I slept without a nightmare was when I was at my dad's with Will. I have slept maybe an hour total this week and I could literally smell sounds.

 _Beep, beep, beep,_ rang over and over.

I checked all the fire alarms in the house and all of them seemed to be fine. I wanted to scream until the ringing in my head stopped.

 _Am I hearing that sound or is it a delusion?_

 _I've lost my mind._

Before I knew it I was walking to Will's room, he was normally a morning person so I'm sure he wouldn't mind me bursting into his room to make sure there was or was not a beeping sound going off.

When I opened the door I felt the sunshine through the window. I pulled the blanket over my head as if to hide from it. His room smelled like lemons and oranges, and all I could see was color, it hurt my head.

"Will!" I yelled. He was still in bed and from the looks of it not getting up.

The beeping kept going, though this time it seemed louder. I looked around to see it on the dresser. The alarm clock. It was blinking and . . . _beeping!_

 _That was making the sound the whole time. . . are you kidding me?!_

I pulled the covers off of him like an idiot. I didn't think for a second that he could be practically naked underneath. I _heard_ the blush creep across my face at this point.

"Get your hot ass out of bed before I join you!" I yelled walking over and smashing the alarm on the way out.

"Also you'll need a new alarm," I shut the door and go get my morning coffee.

Not even fifteen minutes later he walked out of his room, dressed for work. He looked ready for the day, smiling even.

"Good morning, darlin'," he spoke making his way to the kitchen.

It was six a.m. no one should ever be that happy and energized. I grumbled something under my breath and curled up on the couch. I could now feel colors, that could not be a normal thing.

Will sat at the table eating a quick bowl of cereal before he finished getting ready for work. I stayed on the couch watching the small drops of water run down the window from last nights storm.

"See ya, Neek's!" Will yelled. I listened to his truck leave until it was too far gone.

An hour later the house phone rang, it was loud and obnoxious in the silents. "I'm a little busy dying," I groaned into my pillow. I was not moving. Then my phone started to ring. Without looking I violently patted the coffee table till I could find the familiar device.

I glanced at the caller ID and it was Hazel, I groaned at the thought of having to talk but quickly recovered and answered the phone.

"Morning, Hazel," I did my best to ignore the light beeping in my head.

 _Yep, I was definitely going insane._

"Hey, Neek's whatcha up to for today?"

 _Death._

"I have work at three tonight, but other than that nothing, why?"

"Great, be ready in an hour and I'll pick you up. We are going mini-golfing."

Before I could tell her that was not going to happen she hung up the phone. This meant leaving my house and having to be near people.

I sighed and got up to get a cold shower in hopes of waking me up.

I _hated_ cold showers.

The water helped some but mainly just took my breath away. If anyone would have walked into my house I'm pretty sure it sounded like I was having some weird-ass sex in the shower.

I walked back to my room and pulled out an outfit quickly getting dressed. I decided to add something different to my look and wore my red converse today, the rest of the outfit was black.

I grabbed my wallet, keys, pack of cigarettes, and my phone quickly shoving them into their rightful pockets.

My wallet went in the right back pocket, my keys went in the front left, the cigarettes in the side pocket of my shorts along with my phone. One good thing about wearing these shorts was that you could carry a lot with you if you wanted.

I heard the sound of Hazel's car in the driveway and rushed out to greet her. I locked the door behind me and got into her car.

"So why mini-golf?" I asked her.

"I can't just call and tell you to go mini-golfing with me?" she fake pouts. "Yeah, basically. Now tell me why?"

"I had the day off and saw a brochure of a glow in the dark mini golf place not too far away. That's why."

The rest of the drive was a comfortable silence. I just rested my eyes along the way, not fully falling asleep.

When we got there the place was all decorated to show off the black lights. Everything glowed and it looked really cool. Hazel hit my shoulder, "Epic right?" I nodded in agreement.

We signed up for the beginners' course and got the stuff we needed. Hazel picked the teal ball and I got the red or orange, hell it could have been pink for all I knew.

When it came to the lighthouse Hazel could not pass it. She worked at it for twenty minutes and even then it went around the house rather than through it.

"Shut up," she laughed.

"I didn't say anything," I said in my defense.

"But you were going to," she muttered. And yes I was it was unusual to see her get all worked up over a game and it was funny seeing her curse at the lighthouse.

The place blasted a mix of pop and light rock music all throughout the course. Hazel took a few photos along the way. "This place is pretty cool in person," she muttered.

At the last hole, we found a glowing clown, it was a mix of colors and at an unintentional creepy smile. "Can you take a picture of me and the clown?" I asked Hazel handing her my phone.

She was shocked to see I wanted my picture taken, but went along with it anyway. I wanted to send the picture to Will. "Strike a pose!" she giggled. I wrapped my arm around the clown and pretended to look shocked.

"There ya go," she laughed and handed back my phone. "Thanks."

I quickly sent the picture to Will with a message that read, "Look I found your twin."

When the game was over we got back in the car and drove to get lunch at Mcdonalds.

"Two chicken nugget happy meals," Hazel ordered while I got us a booth near the windows. It wasn't too busy since we got there a bit earlier.

I looked down at my phone to see the new message.

 **Will:** _ **You are right the clown is very sexy. And has a hot ass apparently.**_

I blush vaguely remembering what I told him this morning.

 **Nico:** _**Shut up.**_

Hazel came over and set the food down, "Who ya texting," she asked jokingly. I hesitated. "Will, he's being an ass again," I muttered before taking a chicken nugget and eating it.

I haven't eaten much all week thanks to the lack of sleep. "Mhm," Hazel says in response. She chose not to push and we just ate our food and talked about random things.

We even played a game when more people walked in. "The guy in the blue, he's stopping by to get some food before heading back to the bunker in the woods where he keeps his victims."

I laughed and looked at the banker lady. "What about her?" I asked. She thinks for a minute. "She either knows the manager," she winked. "Or she is here to make sure the 'order' came in through the batter shipment."

"Like some Los Pollos Hermanos level shipments," I laughed.

"Yep, they have the blue sky in the back."


	30. Will: Chapter XXX

"I just don't understand why I have to sign up for more classes, I don't want the ones I have," Cecil complained for about the hundredth time.

"Because you need to learn something in one of them," Lou argued with him. Lou finished her course and was going to be taking a few classes here and there for fun. Yes, she was going to learn for fun, _weird_.

I had another year to go and I would be finished with college, kinda. I still wasn't sure what I wanted to specialize in. I was either going to be a children's doctor or a pediatric neurosurgeon.

That basically means if a child had problems involving the head, spine, or nervous system, I would be the one to fix it. All I knew is I wanted to work with either kids or infants, not adults. I just always felt weird having to treat adults in the examples they had given me for 'homework'.

Adults tended to have more problems they voice making you look in all the wrong directions or they lie to get some kind of medication or they just turn out to be assholes.

"I will hit you, don't think I won't," Lou reminded Cecil. He was all over the place and hasn't stopped complaining since we got here. It was supposed to be a quick trip to sign up for this year's classes and be done with it but has now turned into an hour's trip.

"I'm going to finish my classes and stuff, you guys meet me back here in a half an hour," I said before walking off.

I sighed and walked off to the medical side of the school, I was leaning more towards the being the pediatric neurosurgeon, but the thing that got me was how difficult and long the process would be.

I needed four years of medical school, a one-year surgical internship, five or more years of residency training in neurological surgery, additional training in pediatric neurosurgery, and certification from the American Board of Neurological Surgery and from the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

Basically a life's worth of training and schooling. I just second-guessed myself if I could even do it, _what_ _if_ _I_ _did_ _something_ _wrong?_ It wouldn't be something I could afford to make a mistake in and that thought alone concerned me.

It was my last year of medical school and I had to figure out which way I wanted my career to go in. There were so many important questions that I didn't know the answers to. How was I supposed to figure them out?

I sighed feeling the all too familiar dizziness hit me like a freight train. My vision was disfigured like I was looking through a fish-eye lens. My surroundings felt like they were closing in on me.

 _I_ _couldn't_ _breathe_.

The blood pounded in my ears. I felt my heart thud in my chest. My mind was racing all the while not focusing on anything.

I needed to get out of there, and go where? I wasn't sure where to go or what to do other than fight my way through the crowd and away from everything.

I felt the tears stream from my eyes but not knowing what was going on at the same time. Someone's arm wrapped around my waist and another on the other side of me.

"Will? Hey, bud it's going to be okay. Just try and breathe the best you can, okay?"

They helped me over to a bench and stayed by my sides till it ended. My breathing was still off and the fear of having another panic attack was all I could think of.

My vision became clearer and I could hear Lou and Cecil's calming voices talking to me.

"Go get one of those chocolate things from the coffee place," Lou told Cecil.

I remember the first time having a panic attack with them around and telling her I like to eat some kind of chocolate or sweets afterward to help calm me down. Ever since then she always makes sure I have something good afterward.

She rubbed my back as we sat there waiting for Cecil to come back and for me to be okay to walk again.

Lou hummed a song under her breath for a while letting me know she was still there. She always knew how to handle me after a panic attack, she didn't try and talk to me or ask me if I was okay or anything like that. Most importantly she and Cecil for that matter didn't treat me like I was sick in the head for having them. They also never once told me to calm down.

I don't know how much time had passed but Cecil was back with an extra fudge brownie and my favorite iced chai tea latte.

"Your order," Cecil faked a French accent as he handed me my food. "Ass," I joked.

I ate the brownie and drank half the drink before convincing them to get up and continue with the day.

They walked with me as I got signed up for all the classes I needed for this year. If I picked to be the children's doctor I should be able to do that by the end of the year and if I went the other route I was set up either way.

"I want to go to Kmart!" Cecil yelled from the backseat. "And why should I waste my gas to go there?" Lou countered.

"I just want to go please," he wined and gave Lou puppy dog eyes which were no use since she was driving.

"I don't mind going, I need to get some almond milk and cookies," I told her.

She sighed and drove to the closest Kmart in town. "I can't believe this shithole is still open," Lou said as we walked into the store.

We split up and I got the things I needed before making my way back to them.

"Come on let's get one," Cecil begged. He was looking at the pools and jumping up and down like a kid trying to convince their parents to buy them that one toy.

"No, we live in an apartment. Where the fuck are we putting a swimming pool? Up your ass?" Lou glares.

Cecil looked over at me and his eyes lit up. "Will! You have a house and a backyard. Wanna buy a pool? I'll pay for half."

I thought about it and it would be nice. The hot muggy air was unbearable some days, plus would it be all that bad to have someone pay for half.

"I don't know, Nico probably wouldn't like it and I don't want to get stuck putting the thing together myself."

He shook his head. "Lou and I will help. Please, can we get the pool? I will love you forever."

We unloaded the pool from Lou's car. It was not light and to be honest I was surprised that it even fit in the back of her SUV.

"You two figure it out, I'll call about getting some water. Will, what's the address for here?"

I wrote down the information for Lou and she went inside. I was grateful that Nico was at work because I think he would have made me take the pool back. I knew he wasn't a big fan of water.

I open the box and we looked at the instructions. "Roll out the tarp and then we can start."

I worked on getting the pool out of the box and Cecil fought with a blue tarp. We probably should have had sand underneath but it was a last-minute decision so we settled for a small tarp instead.

I laid out all the things we needed to use to put it together, all the polls were shoved on a pile and all the bits that held them together were laying in the grass.

Slowly but surely we put the pool up and I think it was even done correctly. It wasn't even long till Lou had the water person called and the pool was filled.

We even put on a solar cover to make the water warmer since it was just delivered and would be colder than the lake water from the camping trip.

"What if we had a small pool party tonight? Come by at dinner?" I questioned.

Lou shrugged but agreed and Cecil hugged me. I texted a few of Nico and I's friends before walking Lou and Cecil back to their car.

"Your the best person in the world!" he yelled almost running out in front of Nico's car as he pulled into the garage.

"Oops," he giggled and ran off.

"He seems weirder than normal," Nico muttered walking past me and into the house. I followed him in and was about to tell him about the pool when he was already staring out the window.

"When did that get there?"

I looked at my watch. "About an hour ago," I muttered sheepishly. "Why the hell did you get a pool for?!"

"I don't know it was on sale and Cecil paid for most of it so it was the best fifty bucks I've ever spent. Also, we are having a pool party tonight. Don't worry I already talked with Hazel and Frank, they said yes. And I invited Piper and Leo, Calypso had to work so she can't come."

"Are you joking with me right now?" he asks looking like he almost didn't believe I got a pool at eleven in the morning. "Nope it's all real, darlin'," I smiled at him and walked to my room.

I was tired and needed a nap before I did anything else. Nico followed me back to my room and continued talking.

"Stop worrying once you get in and start swimming around you'll love it," I pulled him down on top of me.

"Stop manhandling me, Solace," he said trying hard not to smile. "I just can't keep my hands to myself," I sang.

He laughed at me and rolled out of my grasp. "Oh my gods, you did not just sing that."

"Uh, yeah I did. And I did a wonderful Selena Gomez impression. Thank you very much."

He rolled his eyes at me and got up, I kinda wanted him to stay but I didn't say anything. Instead, I fell asleep, pretty quickly.

When I woke up several hours later and started to get somethings ready for the party. I fixed up what food I could make which was a fruit salad and a cheese spread thing.

I got changed and called Nico to go test the water with me. After a few minutes on convincing, he finally agreed to go.

"Come on Nico just get in the pool," I opened my arms as if to catch him when he jumped in.

"Why?"

"Because it is fun. Now take off your shirt and get your ass in the pool."

He groaned.

He was like a walking zombie when he got into the pool, he took his dear old time. "You remind me of an old man," I laugh.

"Shut up."

The water wasn't too bad once you went under, getting used to the temperature it was nice. I swam around a little till old man Nico was fully in the pool and not just standing on the ladder.

"This was not worth it," he grumbles.

"Oh come on it totally was. Look how happy it makes your boyfriend," I said testing out the word. It was weird to even say that I was his boyfriend? I was in denial still about the whole thing.

"I could have seen that from the deck, I do not have to partake in it."

Before he got out I pulled him off the ladder and turned to kiss him. When our lips met he soon stopped trying to get out of the pool. It was funny to see the angry man turn to passion so quick.

He ran his tongue over my lips making me open my mouth. All I could taste was coffee as his tongue invaded my mouth. I felt like he should have been closer to me, I pulled his waist to mine.

I could feel his piercings on my chest, his arms around my neck, and _oh my gods he was getting hard._

The realization made me smirk and grab his ass. He moaned into my mouth and it left me wanting more. I wanted that reaction again and again. It was addictive and intoxicating, like a drug to my senses.

The feeling of him so close to me made my heart skip a beat. Feeling the roughness of his lips to mine made my swimming trunks become slightly tighter as the kiss deepened.

Suddenly we heard it. The sound of a car door closing. We pulled away and looked at each other before acting like we weren't totally making out.

Nico's lips were redder than usual but other than that he recovered quicker than I did. He got out of the pool and quickly grabbed a towel wrapping it around his waist before our friends showed up.


	31. Nico: Chapter XXXI

Why was it when I actually tried to get sleep I'd just wake up sobbing and paranoid?

I knew my nightmares got worse near this time of year but you'd think they would have died down by now. It's been so many years ago and they still haven't improved. Pills never worked, drugs made it worse, I even tried alcohol once. That ended with me in jail for some kind of arson, it was a bullshit charge but still.

It wasn't a fun feeling of seeing your dead mother sitting at the edge of your bed as you can't move or be heard because none of it is even real. The nightmares turned to sleep paralysis if I wasn't careful.

If I changed something in my room or turned my tv on as I slept they would normally leave me alone. However, when I haven't been sleeping, I tend to start seeing things and that's usually one of the signs I'll have one soon.

It was twelve in the morning and I was recovering from probably one of the worst nightmares I've had in a while. It was so vivid I couldn't tell what was real.

I felt the hot tear fall along my cheek and tickle my chin. I didn't move, I couldn't.

My dark room was not comforting, every shape looking like some creature wanting to get closer and closer. The walls that brought me comfort once now we're giving me nothing but panic.

I force myself up, not even bothering grabbing a shirt or blanket, I just needed out of there. I shut the door quietly careful not to wake Will in the process.

I'm not sure out long I just stood in the hall staring at the ground, but my legs were burning when I worked up the nerve to knock on the door.

I told Will about some of my nightmares, leaving out ninety percent of the details of them. Even so, I remember his words, it was all I could think of in my mess of a state.

 _"If you ever need me just come over and wake me. I don't care what time it is."_

The sound of the knock made me want to turn and just stay in the living room. What if he was just saying that to be nice and didn't actually mea- no he had to have meant it. It was Will.

"Come in, unless you're a serial killer then in that case wrong house," Will hummed from the other side of the door.

I turn the handle and walk in, feeling his eyes scan over me when I shut the door behind myself. "Don't worry the serial killer was sent away," I tried to joke but my voice was raspy and weak.

"Oh, darn."

He set his book on the side of the nightstand and pulled up the covers, gesturing for me to crawl in.

 _How could one person be so warm?_

I hated people being around me when I was crying it was something I never wanted to show anyone. I didn't want them to think I was weak or give me pity for it. I knew my eyes were bloodshot and I sniffled every so often. I knew Will could tell but for some reason being next to him was more important than my pride.

He wrapped an arm around me when I settled in next to him. I rested my head down on his chest, hearing the steady rhythm of his heart gave me comfort.

"Nightmare?" He questioned after a minute.

"Yeah," I whispered meekly.

He turned the light off and cuddled into me with his hand tracing over my back. First, he drew a heart, then a star, then some random things I couldn't make out what they were.

"You know if it helps any, you can stay over here when you think it's going to be a bad night or whatever," he told me.

He seemed serious about it which kinda surprised me. I figured I was just annoying him with me coming over here. "Don't get me wrong it will cost you, I will take my payment in . . . kisses!"

I rolled my eyes at him even if he couldn't see me. "I don't know you run a pretty high bargain there, I guess I _could_ kiss you."

He kissed my head and held me closer if that was even possible to do, at this point I was basically on top of him.

"You can pay me tomorrow then, goodnight darlin'."

I didn't answer, just nodded and nestled onto his chest.

It was like magic, no nightmare or anything. I woke up from basic sleep, I wasn't overly refreshed but I was better than yesterday.

Will was up before me and had already left for work, I slept in till ten which was unheard of for me to do normally.

I didn't want to get out of his bed. It was warm, comfortable, and it smelled of Will. "Now I'm just being creepy," I muttered to myself.

Who gets worked up over someone's smell? Actually, don't answer that, I'm sure a lot of people do but I wasn't like them I was not going to get worked up over this.

I got up somehow and was instantly met with coldness. It was now the last month of summer and it has been rainy for a while. The weather has started to change and I both hated it and loved it all at once.

Ironically autumn was my favorite season and the closer it got the more excited I was to hang up Halloween stuff, play scary music, wear oversized hoodies, and everything good about this time of the year.

However, it was also near the time of my sister's birthday and that always made me nostalgic. All the parties we had in the past and all the time spent bugging our parents about the leaves outside.

I remember a time where my father actually went outside and helped us make giant piles of leaves just so we could run around in them and mess them up.

He was happier when she was around, part of me always thought he lost the wrong child. _It should have been me instead._

I couldn't shake the thoughts from my head so I simply got my coffee and sat out on the back porch. I didn't care too much that I was cold or that it was starting to rain again. I just sat there thinking about nothing and everything.

It was my pity party of nostalgia and my coffee was helping me host it.

By the time I walked back inside it was well past two. "What?!" I had to do a double-take at the time because I almost couldn't believe I just spent five-ish hours outside doing nothing. I sighed and got a quick shower in hopes of warming my body back up, the last thing I needed was to get sick.

When I was dressed I did my 'adultly things' as Will calls them even after I told him my mind went somewhere else when he first told me the name.

By 'adultly things' he meant washing the dishes or in my case paying bills. Yeah, the name is a let down just like being an adult is.

I finished up the work in fifteen minutes and hoped I put everything in the correct envelopes before driving them off to the post office.

I drove because I was going to town anyway and maybe doing this would help send them out faster I don't know. I looked at my phone before I got out of my car and read over the text.

 **Frank:** _ **Can we meet up sometime? There is something I'd like to ask you.**_

 **Nico:** _ **Uh sure. When?**_

 **Frank:** _ **Whenever it is best I can stop by after work. I don't want Hazel to know.**_

 **Nico:** _ **Okay works for me.**_

I boringly bought food and some other stuff Will and I needed for the house. When I got back home I started to cook my signature Fra diavolo.

Okay, I looked it up, but it was a few years ago and changed a few things to make it my own. It is a spicy sauce for things like pasta or seafood.

I quickly made it making sure not to add too many chili peppers to the tomato-based sauce.

Will got home and got a shower as soon as he did. "You know you still didn't pay me back for yesterday."

I push him away because his hair was soaking wet and it got on my neck when he was leaning on me. "Oh didn't I, such a shame."

I continued to ignore him as I finished the food. When I handed him the plate and gave him a quick kiss.

"There, happy?"

"I just was handed food and gave a kiss, I think it is safe to say yes, I am pretty happy."

We peacefully ate and watched "Sons of Anarchy" as we ate. Will and I had a goal of watching basically everything on Netflix at this point. We finished so many already and planned way more.

"We are adopting Chibs, he is our son now."

I laughed at Will's comment but nodded along. "Fine, Filip is our son."

When Frank stopped by, he seemed very nervous and kinda shaky. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"You know you're probably the most important person in Hazel's life so I wanted to come to you first to ask-" he paused like he couldn't say want he wanted to, "-to ask if I had your blessing to ask her to marry me? We wouldn't get married just yet but we've been talking about it for a while now."

Will instantly got up and ran over to us. "Oh that is so cute and Hazel will be so happy!"

I just laughed at him forgetting I never answered Frank. "Of course you have my blessing, though the same thing goes. You hurt her, I hurt you."

He nodded and looked like a huge weight was lifted off his chest. Will and him talked for a little about how Frank was planning on doing it and all that. I was sure Hazel was going to say yes.

Frank made her happy and for as scary as the dude looked he was just a big sweetheart. I liked him and knew he would never do anything to hurt Hazel. I felt kinda happy he came to me before my own father.

 _Haha, suck on that._

"I ship them," Will said after Frank left.


	32. Will: Chapter XXXII

_"Does anybody have a map? Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this? I don't know if you can tel-"_ my singing was cut short when I dropped the shampoo bottle right onto my foot.

It was supposed to be a quick relaxing shower but instead, I injured my toe in the process. To put the cherry on the cake or sundae or whatever the hell you put cherries on, I also got soap in not one but both of my eyes. _Great._

I'm pretty sure all the neighbors hated me at this point, I all I did was scream out whatever curse came to mind even after I was out of the shower and fully dressed.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Nico asked me. He was in the kitchen making some kind of soup that smelled like actual heaven in a pot.

"I don't want to talk about it," I muttered.

My eyes still burned and my toe was marked red where the container landed on it. He turned to face me with an expression I couldn't really read or maybe I was too tired to overthink like I normally did.

He brushed the small bit of hair out of my face and brushed his thumb over the side of my face, he still seemed shocked by the fact I had freckles. It made me grin at remembering the night he first realized it, how things have changed from then to now in only a short amount of time.

Then he slapped me.

It was more of a pat than a slap, but 'slap' sounded better and more dramatic plus it kinda hurt.

"What was that for?"

"You know what that was for," he muttered before leaning in and kissing my cheek. "You're not the one the neighbors complain to."

I sighed knowing he was right and that it probably didn't help with some of the windows being up. The walls are always thinner than you think, so I've learned.

It was one of those days where everything you normally liked doing seemed like a chore. I had a few books I wanted to finish before I started back up with school, go for a run, and relax before heading off to work.

But nothing seemed appealing to me, doing nothing even felt tiring, go figure. I shrugged it off and turned to Nico.

He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, typing away on his computer. "You should take a picture, Solace. It will last longer."

" _Haha_ , maybe I will."

I did. I grabbed my phone off the table and took a few pictures of him till he noticed and got up with an angry look on his face.

"Give me the phone," he said in a low tone. I grinned and ran, not giving him a chance to trick me into giving him the phone.

I knew he hated his picture being taken and he would just delete them when he got my phone so I did what any good boyfriend would do. I ran to the park.

Nico was yelling at me in the distance as he tried to catch me. He wasn't used to running, only on the few days Hazel managed to drag him out did he ever do it.

I managed to get up one of the slides and to the house-like structure. I quickly flick through the pictures and send the two I liked the best to Hazel.

 **Will:** _ **Before Nico murders me save these.**_

 **Hazel:** _ **Aww so cute! Also just saved them :)**_

I put my phone back in my pocket and looked around for the angry man. He was nowhere to be found, I considered he just got frustrated and walked back home but I had a feeling he was somewhere close.

The afternoon sun would wear him out soon. If I knew one thing about Nico it was that he _hated_ the sun, he would not stay out in it for long.

Right on cue, I heard tired footsteps coming closer and closer.

"William shit-head Solace, get the hell down here."

I was glad there weren't kids around because he literally had no filter. _And I'm the one the neighbors complain about, sure._

"Why should I?" I questioned. I looked over the monkey bars wondering if I could still hang from them as I did as a kid.

I remember a teacher had to pull me off of them before I passed out. Dares were a dangerous thing for elementary school me.

"Because I asked nicely," Nico yelled up at me.

Did he just say _nicely?_

How was that _nice?!_

I figured why not have some fun while we were here. It wasn't every day we went to the park or Nico went outside during the day, sometimes he was like a vampire.

I crawled over to the monkey bars and crossed over them until I was in the middle. I managed to get my legs over the bars. When I let my hands drop I almost fell. I forgot how difficult this was, the bars were painful against my legs and my head hurt.

Nico walked over with an amused look on his face. "Will, what are you doing?"

I did my best to not fall off, it wasn't a far drop but I rather not end up breaking something, I did that once and it was embarrassing explaining to a doctor you broke a toe while hanging upside down on monkey bars. At least it was at age eighteen.

"Trying to kiss you," I whined at the distance between us. Nico just shook his head and looked up at my shaky legs.

"You're going to fall, you do realize that."

"Just kiss me, asshole. I'm getting lightheaded."

He walked closer to me and leaned in to kiss me. I stupidly closed my eyes and before I knew it he had my phone and was running back to the house.

"You asshat!" I yelled just in time for a mom to glare at me. "Sorry," I muttered before running back home.

By the time I made it back he figured out my passcode, which wasn't hard if you knew my favorite number was seven, in hindsight I shouldn't make my passcode all sevens.

He deleted the pictures by the time I tackled him. "You sent them to my sister?" he groaned.

I smiled evilly at him. "Yep, I knew you'd do this."

My alarm on my phone goes off and scares us both, I should really turn the volume down at some point.

"Anyway, duty calls," I murmured and kissed him lightly on the cheek. I got up and run out the door and to my truck.

This time Calypso was working in the kitchen rather than in the garden. "Leo burned another batch of cupcakes so he is now banned from . . . the kitchen."

I laughed but nodded. We had a rule: if you burn something more than once (or in Leo's case sixteen times) you get banned from whatever you burned in the process.

I started my shift in a surprisingly happy mood, my anxiety wasn't all that bad either. The smell of nutmeg filled the air. Summer was coming to an end and Calypso started making the autumn pastries and desserts.

My favorite time of the year for food.

On my break Hazel texted me letting me know about Nico's graduation, which was tomorrow.

 **Hazel:** _ **He probably won't tell you or play it off as something else, but just make sure he is dressed and at the location by 2:00 P.M.**_

She attached the address, not too far from the college itself.

 **Will:** _ **No prob I will have him there with a bow and everything.**_

I turned my phone off and headed back in to help Piper with the decorating. She was changing things up for autumn and Piper found a bunch of lights and fake leaves.

"Where did you get all this stuff?"

She shrugged. "I might have found a person in a van outside of a craft store. So naturally I hijacked it and they were not happy about it."

"You stole from a person in a van?"

"I wouldn't say stealing but uh. . . yes."

She plugged the lights in and the room had an orange glow, whatever kind of lights Piper stole were good quality, to say the least.

"Now, shush and help me with the fairy lights," she giggled at the end. "Sorry I didn't mean like you were a fairy but ugh never mind."

I couldn't help but laugh at her failed joke. "You know I prefer the term Mr. fairy, thank you very much."

I helped set up the lights and it looked pretty damn awesome with the overall cozy theme of Latte's.

Lou walked into the cafe and whistled. "Well, this place is looking fancy as ever!"

"Thank you I try," Piper joked and continued to move around some of the things on the shelf. She added some books and switched out some mugs to make it look better.

"What can I get ya?" I asked Lou.

"Coffee as dark as my closet, oh and one of the sprinkle cake things . . . for Cecil of course."

"Yeah of course," I winked and got her order ready. The coffee cupcake and the pitch-black coffee.

"You know I might know a guy who knows a girl who has some kickass Halloween decorations when the time comes."

Piper nearly fell off the ladder before she managed to balance herself and get off it like a normal person. "Really?!"

"Yeah, I think her name is Rachel or something like that. She's a friend of Percy's and she works as an artist but you should see her horror collection. It is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time."

When Lou left it was well past midnight. She and Piper talked about everything and anything you could have thought about Halloween or horror related things. It was nice and also annoying.

I don't really remember much but I was somehow in bed with a soft blanket wrapped around me. I was definitely _not_ a night owl.


	33. Nico: Chapter XXXIII

"Wakey wakey, death breath!"

Will pulled open the dark curtains in my room letting in the demon of the sun. I groaned at him and pulled up the blankets to cover my face, blocking out the world.

Will was not having that though, he jumped up on my bed and crashed down on me. I was just trying to have a nice afternoon mid-morning nap and this is how I get woken up.

"Ow! Will, what the fuck!"

"You wouldn't wake up," he said this like it was just a fact of life.

I was not in the best mood so I kicked him off the bed before getting up to get a shower. He was muttering something on the ground when I left the room.

Today was the day I had to go to the graduation ceremony. I didn't want to go.

Hazel was the only reason I was going to the stupid thing. It wasn't the people there that bothered me, I mean I hate crowds, but they don't make me nervous like this. When Will told me he was going I wanted to slap him. I knew if he and Hazel teamed up I would not be able to weasel my way out of this.

Distracted in my thoughts I hopped in the shower quickly regretting it when the ice-cold water hit my skin. I should have waited till the water warmed up but I didn't.

After the suffering was done I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked back to my room. I looked through my closet until I found my suit. I didn't even notice the sleeping blond on my bed.

"William, what are you doing?" He sat up nearly falling out of the bed, I suppressed my laugh.

He was dressed nicely with a yellow button-up that went well with his tanned skin and a pair of black dress pants. Honestly, it didn't look bad on him, but who owns so many colorful clothes?

 _It hurts my eyes._

"I was waiting for you to get done, we need to leave soon. Hazel made it very clear that if we were late she'd kill us both."

I shook my head at him, knowing he was right about Hazel. I pulled him off my bed and pushed him out of my room. "Now get out you perv."

He started to protest but when you slam a door in front of someone's face they shut up quickly. I got dressed quickly in my blacker than black attire and brushed my hair back with some gel on the way out of my room.

Will sat waiting for me in the living room, looking through a book. "Solace, time to go."

I convinced Will to let me drive us by letting him play the music he wanted. The drive there was silent other than the blast of 2009's greatest hits. I didn't want to go, I didn't want anything to do with this. I nearly forgot where the place was and turned the wrong way.

I had to stop thinking this way, it was a good thing I was graduating, to begin with. The school year didn't start out all that hopeful for me and now look at me I did it. So what was I scared of?

When we finally found a place to park we walked around for a little, it didn't take long to find my family.

I noticed Hazel first, she wore a nice gold dress with lace detailing that matched her cinnamon-colored hair. Frank stood next to her with their hands intertwined. He was dressed in a nice navy blue button-up and black dress pants.

What shocked me the most was that my dad was there. He never really showed up to school things unless he was called and no one else could be called. He _might_ have been called a lot.

He was dressed in all black like normal, the jacket of his suit was so black it was like it was made of lost souls of the underworld.

Persephone stood by his side in her springtime looking dress, I thought about telling her it was the start of September but I kept it to myself.

"Good luck, don't fall," Will winked. He walked over to sit with my family as I had to go get my gown and cap stuff on before they started calling names.

I was only a little late but I was told what to do and where I was sitting. I boringly took my seat not daring to look anywhere else other than my shoes. My mind wandered off to something else and I barely heard my name be called.

"Nico di Angelo, graduating with the highest marks of his year. Congratulations."

When I got to the stage the dude shook my hand and gave me my diploma before taking a quick picture with me. I tried very hard not to glare but I hated pictures and was pissy so it most likely didn't work.

I took my seat and waited for it to be over and for the rest of my class to be called. I remember seeing Piper go up and grin ear to ear but after that, I was lost in my thoughts again. It was torcher trying to focus. I kept getting the feeling Will was watching me. It both annoyed me and made me what to kiss the stupid grin he probably wore right off his face.

At last the ceremony ended and I bolted out of my seat walking over to my family to get Will and leave. Before I knew it a flash of yellow tackled me into a hug. "You graduated!" Will yelled over the talking crowds.

I kicked a few times realizing I was not on the ground anymore. "William put me down," I scowled. I heard Hazel take a picture and Persephone and Frank giggle.

 _Great_.

Will set me down and smiled before taking my hand and pulling me along back to the car. I could feel Hazel and Frank's smiles burn on our backs.

When we got home, much to my protest there was an after-party that Will and Reyna planned. Reyna hugged me as soon as she saw me. "Nico, I'm so proud of you!" I could see she was genuinely happy for me. I had a lot still to do in my career, but at least I got four years of the schooling done already.

Even Thalia congratulated me which was an occasion on its own.

My dad told me about a few places I could try and get a job and they would pay me as I basically interned for a year. Of course, money was all he could think of, part of me thought he wanted me to work for him again. My sister was going to be given the company on her twenty-first birthday since that day never came he eventually turned to me.

Piper put her arm over me. "We did it, dude. We are like _bloody_ geniuses now."

"Please never use that pun again," I laughed.

"No promises."

There was also so much food I didn't even know what to eat. Will and Piper ended up ordering a bit of everything you could think of. Pizza, fruits, Chinese foods, vegetable trays, and a load of desserts from most likely Latte's.

Will set a plate of food in front of me with all my favorites on. "Ignore the bite out of the cheesecake I got hungry on the way over to you."

"Not you," I say sarcastically. He took another bite and nodded, "you're right I'd never."

It was kinda fun to watch everyone dance around to the music and talk to one another like they haven't talked to each other for eons.

I was grateful to have such amazing friends to stick around but I was also happy to see them leave my house. I was tired of socializing.

I ended up helping Will clean up the kitchen, of course, he insisted on playing his obnoxious music again as he sang along to it. I couldn't help but watch him dance along, shaking his hips perfectly to the beat.

My eyes wandered over his beautiful body. To his perfect golden locks to the way his feet tapped on the floor, he was perfect. And not only with the looks, but he was also a good person too, something you didn't come across all that often anymore.

I wondered why he liked me, he could literally have anyone with a body and personality like his. Just the thought of him shirtless made me have to shift the way I was standing.

I did my best to shove those thoughts from my mind, there was no way I was messing this relationship up just because I found him a bit too attractive.

"You know it wouldn't kill you to dance a little," Will whispered in my ear. I leaned back into his touch without meaning to. I could smell his scent of citrus and the warmth of his body against mine.

He lowered his hands slowly down onto my hips and moved me to the beat of the music he had on replay. If he didn't stop I was going to have a bit of a problem. "Will, w-we should get back to work-"

He spun me around and kissed me, biting at my bottom lip softly. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and the taste of oranges took over. A calm sense washed over me at the taste. I stopped fighting the voice in my head, by unbuttoning most of his shirt and letting my hands wander up his torso.

I will never understand how he had abs with all the sweets he ate daily.

He broke the kiss briefly and lifted me up on the counter. Before I could complain he started kissing down my neck, most likely leaving marks. I felt like all my surroundings turned to a blur, Will being the only thing that wasn't.

His kiss was more of a drug, no matter how much I had I knew it would never be enough. I will always crave more.

 **~ Warning Smut ~**

 _ **A/N: If you don't like it end the chapter here. For all those who like it keep reading ya pervs ;)**_

"Off," he hummed against my neck. He pulled on my shirt untucking it and ripping it open, a button or two fell to the floor but I didn't care at this point.

"Perv," I joked with him.

He kissed down my neck to my nipples, which he took an interest in. I found my head roll back with nothing but pleasure. I didn't have control of my words so I wisely started moaning things. "Fuck me," I muttered unintentionally.

He looked up at me and kissed me on the lips again before saying: "that's what I was planning."

I felt my whole face burn red, realizing what exactly I just said. He giggled at the blushing mess I was. "Aw you blushin-" I yanked on the collar of his shirt and smashed our lips back together. I was not going to be the only one blushing.

"Bedroom," he said between kisses. He pulled me down off the counter gracefully, like I weighed nothing to him. With each step to his room, we took off an article of clothing throwing them wherever. By the time we got to his room, we were in nothing but our underwear.

I pushed him onto his queen-sized bed before straddling his waist. The setting sun fled into his room through the half-open blinds. It was cute seeing the warm colors shine over his freckled face.

Before I over thought anything I let my body take over doing what I wanted to without much thought. Trailing kisses down his neck and to the waistband of his boxers.

I brushed my hand over his thigh and he tensed for a minute till he pulled me up and switched positions with me, so he was on top of me.

"Tonight we are celebrating you," his voice was husky and low in my ear.

He copied what I did kissing down to the waistband of my underwear. Without hesitation, he pulled them off with one swift motion. Before I knew it he had my dick in his mouth, I felt like I was running on a high. My whole body was washed over with lust and pleasure.

He licked at the tip of my cock as he stroked the shaft painfully slow at first then quickening up the speed. My stomach tightened and I knew I couldn't keep this up for much longer. "Will I'm close," I whimpered out.

He stopped and I missed his warm mouth around my dick. He licked up my stomach and chest before he fell off the bed trying to reach the table beside his bed. I giggled at him and watched him struggle with the small container and box. I couldn't imagine how he was the first time he had sex.

"Shut up," he muttered with his goofy grin.

He put lube on his fingers and started to prep me as he did his lips were back on mine every so often till I couldn't take it much longer, I needed him.

I didn't like to be needy but Will brought out that side of me. If he asked me to beg I would without questioning it.

I broke the kiss and pulled down his boxers. I grabbed a condom from the box Will set on his nightstand and slowly put it on his cock.

He moaned softly at my touch.

He leaned down kissing me passionately before slowly pushing his dick into me. He waited for me to get used to it before moving.

I moaned with each thrust, the pain turned to pleasure very quickly. I grabbed at the sheets then at his back, scratching down it. "Nico," he moaned. Gods the way he said my name made me shiver.

The sounds of moans traveled through the house and if it wasn't for the stupid music Will had playing in the kitchen I would have said the neighbors heard our cries.

I felt the knot in my stomach again before moaning out Will's name. I came onto our stomachs riding out my climax. Will followed soon after and collapsed beside me.

Both of us breathing heavy, still in a sex daze.

He threw out the used condom before laying next to me again. I remember being so self-conscious of my body but at this moment I didn't even care. It was a feeling I wasn't used to, it was nice not to care.

"You have no idea how long I wanted to do that?" Will finally says.

"Dork," I muttered to him. I turned to face him, his bright ocean eyes twinkled in the darkening room. I patted him on the cheek, "I have an idea." When my legs no longer felt like jello I sat up with my feet touching the wooden floor.

"Race you to the bathroom, the loser has to wash the winner," I winked.

"Deal."

Once the words left his mouth I dashed off the bed and to the bathroom.

"Dick!" he yelled with a thud.

"Oh my gods, did you fall off the bed again, dude that is like the third time today," I said in the comfort of the bathroom.

"Shut up, I was kicked the one time so that does not count."

"Who would ever do that?" I asked sarcastically.


	34. Will: Chapter XXXIV

"I say we play funemployed," Piper chimed in.

Hazel invited a few friends over for a game night and a movie. It started out simple enough with a few board games then we moved onto card games.

Nico won most of the board games just to piss someone off, it depended on whose team he was on. Let me tell you, you never want him and Annabeth playing anything spelling related. We learned that the hard way.

They were so competitive they broke a chair trying to win a game of spoons. _Don't_ _ask_.

At this point, most everyone was either drunk or tipsy, other than Nico and Frank both of whom didn't drink. I was starting to feel the effects of the fruity drink Reyna handed me.

We all took a seat around the coffee table in the living room. Everyone who played sat closer and for the ones sitting it out like Nico, Annabeth, and Hazel they just sat on the couch and chairs.

Leo opened the small box and looked at the instructions for no more than a minute before throwing them off to the side.

"Leo!" Piper yelled.

"Pipes it's fine, we are playing this the Leo way."

Everyone tried to voice there worry about playing it the "Leo way" but he just ignored us.

"Okay I am going to be the employer for this round and you guys have to come up with reasons why I should hire you for the job. In basic terms, I pick a random job card and you all have four qualification cards, that you have to work into your guess."

He handed out the cards and flipped over the job card. Putting his hands 'professionally' on the coffee table he straightened his posture trying to look business-like.

"Who is here for the architect job?" Leo asked.

At that moment everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Annabeth who was basically an architect by now. She waved it off and we turned our attention back on the game.

Percy went first.

"I would be good for the job because I can turn my _wrath_ into a good _work_ _ethic_ , you would be shocked to see how that works. I used to whittle _wood_ before I took an interest in buildings but my _balls_ got in the way."

"How does that even happen?" Leo grimaced at the thought. Percy shook his head. "You sir, do not want the gory details of summer 2013."

Thalia snorted. "I kinda wanna know now."

When I joined in on the game the job was a gym teacher and Piper was the employer. She found a baseball cap and put it on backward. For some reason, she thought it would be good to have a New Jersey accent.

"So, which one of ya chumps is gonna get the job?"

I focus on the four cards in my hand trying to figure out a way they could work together. I got weird cards at least for a teaching position I guess. But that was the point of the game to have weird borderline creepy qualifications.

When it got to my turn I still hadn't thought of something so I winged it. I turned up my southern accent to help my case.

"Howdy, I'm uh lookin' for a new job so I can afford to live out of my _spaceship_. But don't worry it would be perfect to keep the youngsters in because I have a _soundproof_ _room_ , perfect for screaming kids. To help them win whatever sports and stuff I might know a guy who likes my _southern_ _accent_ and who will give us free _Adderall_ in turn.

"YOu're hired! The soundproof room had me sold." Piper laughed.

I shuffled the job cards and picked one at random. "Archaeologist," I told them before handing out four cards to everyone that was still playing.

Thalia, Frank, Piper, Percy, and Leo so far have been the only ones playing. I was going to get Nico to play even if it killed me.

I picked Thalia for the job because to me it was the funniest, I'm a great employer thank you very much.

"I the one to hire for the job because I have a _conservative_ way of making the people around me listen to me. I _envy_ going to the top of this small shithole of a company, but I do have a _confession_. Only my wife and former pastor Joe know this but I have _erectile_ _dysfunction_ so that can get in the way of my . . . job."

On the last round, Nico joined us much to his better judgment. "You so owe me, Solace," he whispered before taking a seat on the floor.

Thalia downed her drink before throwing a mess of cards at us. "Everyone have four?"

I counted my cards and nodded, Reyna threw some cards back at her girlfriend before we began the round.

"You are all here for the new bartender position, our last person was murde- passed away."

We all took our turns, Nico waited to go last and every so often moving around his cards. He looked half amused and irritated by them.

"Neek's you're up," Hazel said warmly.

"I uh, I'd be a good bartender because I make my _ADHD_ my bitch when it comes to multitasking. I give out _treats_ such as _condoms_ to all the nice customers, but I would have limited room considering I am _trapped_ _in_ _the_ _closet_."

We all burst out laughing his was by far the best one of the night. "The homo gets the job!" Thalia shouted in a giggle fit.

A few drinks later I found myself pushed into a bedroom closet with none other than Nico. "You got seven minutes, make the best of it," Leo and Piper said with a matching wink. Might I say that was a creepy thing to witness.

"We should probably tell them we are dating I guess," Nico chuckled seeming just as weirded out by the wink as I was. "Probably, wanna mess with them?" I asked with a smirk.

"Definitely."

I couldn't see anything so I felt around till I found Nico, you would be shocked to know how big the closet was. "Get your hand off my face, dipshit."

Laughing I pulled us both against the wall or maybe it was the door I am not sure. "Just start moaning and scream stuff," I told him.

To my surprise he did. "Ah Will, harder, ahh." I kissed him a few times to keep myself from laughing. Part of me wished we were at home actually making out and not forced into his sister's closet to play seven minutes in heaven.

I moaned along waiting for someone to open the door or tell us to shut up but no one did. Nico moved his hands up to my hair and messed it up. "Keep your mouth shut," he warned me before talking again.

"Right there, daddy!"

It took so much not to burst out laughing. He covered my mouth which didn't do too much and a few seconds later the door opened to reveal our friends.

They looked shocked and horrified at first then when they realized we were both just standing there fully dressed and they almost looked disappointed. I swear to the gods I heard someone boo.

Nico grinned. "Seriously, you think we would have sex in the closet? Wait the sounded bad."

Piper frowned. "So Will isn't your daddy?"

I was glad I drank a few cups of whatever Reyna kept handing me because otherwise, I would have been so embarrassed. Instead, I just laughed and nodded just to fluster Nico.

"Wait no- I mean we are dating, bu-"

Piper cut him off with a squeal. "Did you say you gays are dating?!"

Nico nodded before she hugged him. "YAY, Leo pay up bitch," she said in a slur. Hazel questioned Nico if it was true that we were actually dating not faking it and she congratulated us. Frank like most of the others, said they knew and wondered how long it would take for us to come to our senses and start to realize it too.

Turns out they also had their bets.

We watched a movie before leaving trying to sober everyone up enough to get home whether that meant driving or in Thalia and Reyna's case an uber. There was no way either of them could drive.

I waited at the door for Nico as he talked with Hazel, I couldn't hear too much other than whispers. "I know it's getting around that time of year-" he cut her off with a soft kiss on the cheek and a goodbye.

Whatever it was he did not want to talk about it, but he trusted Hazel more than anyone. I can't say I didn't wonder what it was but I knew better than pry into his personal life, if he wants to talk I'm here and if he doesn't than I still am here.

"Ready?"

He nodded and took my hand before we walked out into the night.


	35. Nico: Chapter XXXV

I painted the white canvas with caution as if any moment my shaking hands would make a mistake. I hated painting.

It was the only thing I could think of doing to maybe get over my fear or anxiety, whatever it was and channel it into something good and nice. I woke up in a grumpy mood so I tried to think of something to do with my day.

When I used to paint I never had an image in mind I would just let my brush do all the work and sometimes it would turn out and others it would look like shit. I loved to paint as a kid, it was the one time no one yelled at me for making a mess.

 _ **A/N: (Play the song, "Terrified" by Isaac Gracie)**_

The sound of the rain on the roof created a steady rhythm making the silence bearable. I was glad to be alone but scared of it too. I knew I had issues around this time of year, fuck, it was like clockwork.

Hazel texted me earlier and told me she was bringing me food when she got done with work and for me not to do something stupid.

I would be lying if the thought of calling Ethan to see if he had anything to distract me from myself but I couldn't do that. I knew it would hurt the people around me. Probably the reason my dad doesn't trust me anymore.

I sighed looking at the canvas again. The once white background was now different shades of red, crimson dripped in the background of the painting. A face was barely there to be made out. As if it were a ghost trapped in the city, yet no one could see or sense it. _No one cared._

The longer I looked at it the more my face turned into a glare. I cleared off my bed by throwing the paints on the floor. I no longer cared if they messed anything up I couldn't stand the sight of them. I should have just thrown them away when I got them, but I couldn't.

I laid back closing my eyes in frustration. My head hit the pillow and the sleepless nights caught up with me. Before I knew it I was drifting off back to that night.

 _ **Flashback**_

"Bianca, hurry up before we are late. The storm is getting worse and I don't want to be out long." my mom called for my sister. She would take Bianca everywhere with her if she could. "Why can't I go?" I asked.

"Because you're too cool for it Neek's," Bianca smiled at me. She sat on the steps tieing up her new shoes.

To my surprise, my mother was the one who sat next to me. I remember her being on edge every storm we had as if it meant something bad was going to happen. Her dark hair perfectly curled around her face, she was dressed up like always, in her finest shoes and clothes.

"Listen _Figlio mio_ , we are going shopping for something special, it's not every day we travel to this part of town."

She gave me a smile before leaning down and kissing me on the head. After that, she was walking out the door with Bianca close behind.

I sat on the warm floor playing my favorite game, mythomagic. It was not really meant for one person to play it alone but I normally did.

The fire crackled every once in a while making me jump sometimes because of how silent the house was.

I don't know how much time had passed but by now the lights were on outside and what stars you could see were shining brightly too.

With no warning, my father rushed out of his study shouting at someone on the phone. "I don't care how much it cost, get her there, now!"

His voice was harsh but he also sounded like he was on the verge of tears. He through on a jacket and walked out the door. He came back in a few minutes remembering the ten-year-old he left behind.

"Where are we going?" I questioned. The whole trip was silent, my father not saying a word. We pulled up to a random street in the city and there was a crash. One car even flipped.

The lights from cop cars and ambulances were blinding. My dad held my hand. "Nico, stay in the car, okay?"

I nodded and watched him talk with someone in a uniform. When that got boring I looked at the flipped car, thinking about how familiar it looked. I watched as a guy pulled away some man all bloody and gross on a stretcher.

It started to rain and I fell asleep to the peaceful sounds that patterned on the roof of the car.

The next morning when I woke up is when I started to feel weird, Bianca normally woke me up telling me not to sleep the day away. _"There is always something interesting to do if you look hard enough,"_ she would yell when I didn't want to get out of my warm bed.

My father was on the phone again when I made it down the steps, he ignored me when I walked past him to the kitchen. I still couldn't find anyone so I helped myself to some food and sat at the table.

My father pushed open the door and walked in with his scowl across his face, his eyes were red and puffy like he was crying all night. He threw the phone on the table. "Stronzo!" his voice caused me to jump slightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked timidly. He looked over at me, guilt or something washed over his face for only a brief second.

"It's about your mother and sister . . ."

 _ **End of flashback**_

I woke up screaming which was not shocking to me, but it concerned Will. He ran to my room clearly he had just got home only to see me in bed with paint basically everywhere and I was screaming and crying.

I know I am such a delight to come home to.

Without saying anything Will just sat next to me pulling me into a comforting hug. He smelled like coffee this time and fresh-baked cookies. We laid/sat like that for a few minutes until the doorbell rang.

I bolted up in a panic, I need to clean my room before Hazel saw it. "Can you distract her for a few minutes?"

Will nodded and kissed me lightly on the lips before leaving to get the door. I rushed around picking up all the paint bottles and brushes on the floor and bed. She knew what painting meant to me so I had to hide it from her.

When it looked better I ran to the bathroom and washed the paint off my hands and arms.

Will and Hazel were setting the table when I walked out to see them. "Hey, Neek's. Sorry I'm late my boss had me finish a project and it took longer than I thought it would."

"It's fine, I was sleeping anyway," I muttered.

My body ached from what? I have no idea I just felt like all my muscles had a dull pain in them.

I didn't want to eat anything and it was noticed by both Hazel and Will. I took a bite before one of them tried to feed me themselves. I swear they were both very observant when it came to my food.

I tried pushing it from side to side messing it up so it would look like I ate more than I did, but that didn't work with them.

"Nico di Angelo you are already skinny take another damn bite," Hazel finally said.

I knew when she swore it was to be taken seriously. I took a few more small bites forcing it down. It wasn't that it was not good, because Hazel's cooking was always great, but I was just not hungry.

I had a bit of anxiety from my dream still and wanted to curl up on the couch instead of sitting here. I tried my best not to show that though, I don't need to tell her I had that dream again.

Will got up to do the dishes as Hazel watched me finish half my food. She smiled at me before clearing the plate away.

She left soon after we ate the dinner she brought. Before she left she hugged me and whispered in my ear: "she would not want you to lock yourself up like this. I'll be back tomorrow and we can go for a little walk."

I nodded, knowing there was no point in saying no to her. Plus I knew it would be good for me to get up and out of the house for a little.

I seriously don't know what I did to deserve such an awesome sister. She has been doing this for years now. She would always make sure I had food and wasn't just locked up in my room.

Will was also helpful when he told me to get a bath. He had so many bubbles in the tub I thought I was going to be lost in them.

"You think you added enough?"

He shrugged, "I only added half the bottle."

I rolled my eyes at him and started to get undressed. "Unless you are joining me, get out."

He grinned. "Is that an invitation?"

"You're impossible."


	36. Will: Chapter XXXVI

Hazel was in Nico's room talking to him about a muffin of sorts and Nico was not being so happy about that. I've also noticed he has been a little off lately, he stays in bed like he wasn't sleeping much at night. I knew he didn't sleep all that well, but this was different like he was depressed.

Hazel sighed and walked out of his room setting the muffin with a bite taken out of it on the counter. "Morning Will," she spoke. She seemed tired.

"Morning, is everything alright?" I asked more in a whisper.

She took a breath and shrugged. "You never know with him. He won't want me telling you but just make sure he is okay.''

She didn't elaborate more on that before leaving. I was left to guess. I promised to respect his privacy so I would pry but I didn't say I wouldn't wonder about it.

Hazel seemed genuinely worried about him, so it wasn't her. He wasn't close with anyone else- _his_ _other sister._ The thought of the girl in the pictures I found seemed to make there way into my mind. She was dead so maybe it had something to do with that. Before I could think about it too much he walked out in nothing but his boxer briefs on.

"Like what you see?" He asked catching my stare. I was apparently very obvious about it, but he wasn't shirtless as often as I'd like so I savored the moments he was.

"Maybe," I kissed him softly on the cheek.

He turned and got a cup of coffee this time just plain and black, odd. He always said he liked sugar in coffee because: _"I like the sweet and bitter taste, it's like heaven in a cup."_ He even once compared it to sex.

"I might be home late tonight Piper said about how she was going to get more decorations for Latte's. I also might have to bail her out of jail because of the said decorations."

He nodded and sipped at the hot coffee. "Okay, I'll be here. I called off work anyway."

"Why?" I decided to press just a little.

"Had a migraine."

He didn't seem like he was lying, normally when he lied his left eyebrow would rise just a bit more than the other one. "Well get better darlin'," I leaned down and kissed him quickly before leaving for work.

I kinda felt bad for him having to be alone for most of the day. Hazel was coming back on her lunch break but other than that he would be alone with whatever was troubling him. Sometimes it's good to be alone, but sometimes it's the worst thing you can do to yourself.

I started making coffees as soon as I got to Latte's because it was rush hour. Latte's wasn't overly busy but each year it seemed to get more and more attention. Piper was helping for a while till she had to start working in the back.

She cooked some of the orders and I made the drinks, within an hour I wanted to be done and over this job.

"I think if I have to make another breakfast sandwich I will strangle myself," Piper grumbled.

"Only if you strangle me first, it's only fair," I laughed.

We fixed up the shop after most of the people left like we normally did on slower days. It was never much just making the place more presentable than it was before.

When it was my break I decided to text Nico and see out he was feeling.

 **Will:** _ **How's your head?**_

He texted me back several minutes later.

 **Nico:** _ **Better.**_

He didn't say much more so I left it alone, it would probably be better if I talked to him face to face. I wanted him to know I was there for him and texting didn't seem all that sincere to me.

"I'm going downtown, I'll be back by closing time," Piper chirped and left the cafe.

It didn't really bother me much that I was there for the next four hours by myself, it wasn't so bad. I mostly read while no customers were there. I just hoped I wouldn't get a call from the police telling me to go get her.

The hours passed by slowly as I cleaned up the place, I washed all the blenders and fixed up the tables. I even swept the floors because I got bored waiting. Piper burst in through the door without warning and a grin that would scare children.

"I got em, Will!" she cheered. The sound of voice made me jump a little. Behind her was a black duffle bag she dragged along, quickly locking the door behind her. She closed the curtain and switched the open sign to say closed.

"Please tell me that is not a bod- you know what I don't want to know," I grabbed my stuff and got ready to leave. I did not need to get stuck staying alone here any longer than I already did.

"No, don't be silly. It's a candy stash I got from his van. You see when you take apart a seat you find a lot. Did you kno-"

I cut her off. "I don't think I want to know anymore, please the less I know the better."

She nodded and started dragging the bag away. "See ya!" she yelled before I left work.

When I got back home all the lights were off and Nico was in his room sprawled out on his bed trying to sleep. I fell down next to him falling on the mattress. "Rough day?" I questioned.

He didn't answer which made me concerned, was it about his sister? I wanted to ask but I was scared he wouldn't want to talk about it. Bringing up things from the past could be painful.

"You know you can talk to me if you need to," I said softly. I turned to face him but he was still looking up at the ceiling. "I don't want pity," he said coldly.

"It's not pity, Neek's. It's just something that could help if you aren't feeling all that well. You know?"

He shook his head irritably. "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong."

 _Bullshit._

"No, you are not, you've been all moody lately, I want to help you but I don't know how if you won't talk." I tried to say as nicely as I could but failed. He sat up and glared.

"Excuse me if I'm not all sunshine and fucking rainbows like you!" he yelled. He pulled on some shoes and walked out of his room.

"Nico, wait that's not want I meant-" the front door was slammed shut.

"Great job, Will," I said to no one but myself.

I tried calling him but it was useless when his phone was laying on his bed. I thought about calling Hazel but I didn't want to worry her. He would be back, he had to come back.

Surely he knew I did not mean what I said in a bad way. ' _I'll just wait till ten and if he isn't back I will go look for him.'_ He needed space I knew that much.

I stopped pacing back and forth in the kitchen and sat in the living room waiting for him to return.

The creak of the door woke me up and I hoped the dark figure that walked in was Nico. He had his hood up and he walked to his room ignoring me. I saw a shimmer of something on his hand, it looked like syrup in the dark lighting of the house.

"Nico, darling are you alright?" I asked through his door.

I felt sick I needed to know if he was okay and he wouldn't answer me. My anxiety was starting to hurt my chest.

"Nico, please answer me."

No answer.

I sank down on the floor outside his room till he came out. A foolproof plan unless he used one of the windows in his room.

I'm not sure how long I sat there but it was long enough to fall asleep for a few minutes at least. My head resting on the hallway wall and my legs barely had enough room to be stretched out.

I felt something soft cover me before I panicked, Nico spoke. "Sorry," his voice was raspy. I could only see his silhouette in the doorway. I reached for his wrist and pulled him down. To my shock he let me.

He sat on my lap, his head resting in the crook of my neck. I pulled the blanket he put over me till it was covering both of us. I rubbed circles on his back for a while. We just sat there in a peaceful silence.

"I think my leg is sleeping," he mumbled. "I know mine are. Then again I do have this cute guy on my lap and I wouldn't dare disturb his comfiness."

He chuckled which made me feel a little better. He got up with a little trouble because of his sleeping leg. When I got up I ignored the little jagging pains in my feet and legs and wrapped the blanket around Nico.

He walked outside on the back porch and gestured for me to follow. He sat down on one of the chairs, with his knees pulled up to his chest. He lit a cigarette and took a few drags out of it.

"It's my sister, Bianca's birthday tomorrow. I haven't really slept and have been a dick lately because of it. I'm sorry for running off. It was stupid and I'm not used to trusting too many people."

When he took another drag out of the cigarette I saw his hand. I quickly walked over and took a look at his hands. I also saw a small bruise forming on his cheek, what I got closer to him.

"I punched a brick wall and it might have bunched back," he said before I asked. I should have just went and looked for him. _Stupid. Why didn't I?!_

"It's fine, they'll heal."

I looked up at him and shook my head. "No, it is not okay. Get inside I'll clean them up and bandage them."

I went inside and got the first aid kit along with a warm washcloth. He was sitting on the couch waiting for me when I returned with my things. In the light, his knuckles were worse. I lightly cleaned them off with the warm washcloth, and put some Neosporin on them before wrapping them up in some bandages.

For his face, I just cleaned with a disinfectant whip I found in the kit.

When I was done I made him a thing of hot chocolate and we watched something random on tv that I was pretty sure neither of us was paying attention to. I pulled him into my chest and held him close until I felt him fall asleep.


	37. Nico: Chapter XXXVII

I needed to get out of there, the quicker the better. I could feel the emotions trying to fight their way out. I pushed them down to the depths of Hell, where they belonged.

"I don't want a repeat of last year's event. Do you know how disgraceful it is to have your son show up high on gods knows what at his dead sister's birthday event? No, you don't! You know what, don't even show up this year, yeah?"

I glared at my father to the point he even looked away.

"Maybe I won't. It's not like you'll miss me." I laughed without humor. "If it were me who would have died, fuck, you would be having a celebration. But no it wasn't me it was her-" he slapped me.

I wasn't surprised by his actions I would have done the same in his shoes. "Don't you are dare talk about her death like that. If you can't act civil then you will not be showing up here tonight."

I scoffed and walked out of his study, pushing past Persephone. If I weren't so mad I would have apologized to her. Instead, I kept walking until I got to my car and sped out of the driveway.

Hazel called me but I ignored her, she would hear my tone and know something was wrong. I couldn't go home because of Will. I already made an ass of myself last night with him.

Instead, I pulled over and texted her quickly.

 **Nico:** _ **Can't talk at the moment. Finishing up at dads, I'll call you later.**_

 **Hazel:** _ **You better or I will show up at your house.**_

I sat there for a minute thinking over everything that happened. I knew my father and I should not be alone together near this time of the year. We always fought till one or in most cases, both of us were left hurt and not talking for several months.

He was the one who called me, most likely Hazel's doing, but _he_ called _me_ over. We were going to go over the things to do in Bianca's honor like we did every year. My dad would have a party for her and donate a bunch of money to a charity and also help hold awareness for drinking and driving.

I showed up last year high, nothing hardcore. Strictly over the counter stuff, but it was still enough to show that I was on something. I had to go to rehab three times in my life but that was more for show than anything else.

My phone's screen dimmed and I thought about how easy it would be to forget this feeling. I remembered all mine and my father's fights both of us say hurtful things to each other but _I'm_ the one to take them to heart. I knew he meant what he said to me.

" _Worthless_ ," his cold voice echoed in my head. That's all I could hear. His voice grew louder and louder. I yelled out in frustration, but it did nothing.

I took the phone and dialed a number I swore I'd never dial again. "Sup, changed your mind on the party?" the raspy voice was barely audible with music in the background.

"Yeah, I think a little snow is nice in September," I muttered into the phone.

Laughing came through the speakers, "Ah see I'd knew you call me soon enough. Usual place uptown a bit. Kronos' place as I like to call it."

I hung up the phone and drove to a small hidden building. It was in town but hidden away far enough no one seemed to care about the shit that went on inside. Even cops didn't care at this point.

Kronos and my father have a business deal together and in the olden days I helped out. Until I tried the product and became a mess, after that I wasn't so much trusted with the family business.

Ethan walked out the door dressed in a messed up robe and some half-dressed blonde on his arm. "Welcome back bro, the kingdom of coca awaits!" he screamed happily.

I nodded and walked past them both into the building of abandoned apartments or something.

I'm ninety percent sure the last people who lived here were all killed or murdered because every so often you would see dried stains of blood everywhere on the ceiling, walls, floor, literally anywhere.

The place smelled disgusting but also nostalgic. It wasn't till I walked into the living room I started having second thoughts about this.

Was this worth making the people I loved mad at me or worse disappointed? The other part of me answered. I could just do a line or two and leave before anyone knows. It will take the edge off for a little and I can forget.

The best way I could describe the smell of good cocaine would be like light paint thinner. After you associate the smell with getting high it smells good and inviting to you.

"Go on this is on the house tonight. Though don't go crazy broo," Ethan said behind me. The girl on his arm pulled him away to do who knows what at this point. It was better to not know.

 _ **A/N: (Play the song, "Cocaine" by Nomy).**_

It didn't take long after that for me to walk up to the glass table and drag out some of the blow. I took one of the blades on the table and quickly moved the coke around to form a line. I took a breath before snorting a line of it. I sat back on the shitty couch and waited for it to kick in. Within about ten minutes I was up and dancing.

I was happy and on cloud nine. I didn't care about anything but the good feeling I was feeling at this moment. The rhythm of the music loudly playing and the colorful lights in the dark room somehow was the best thing in the world to me.

Ethan returned and somehow I was talking to him. Normally I couldn't bare the thought of looking at him let alone having a conversation with the Bastardo.

I could feel my phone vibrate/ring a few times but I didn't answer it right away. "Nicooo your phone," Ethan called over the music. I'm not even sure how he heard it ring in the first place.

I didn't look to see who it was but answered it in a fit of laughter. "Hello?" I giggled out, still dancing to the loud music.

"Nico? Where are you?" I couldn't make out the voice but talked anyway. "Mr. Cunt's no wait uh haha I forgot. Wait who are you?"

"Your boyfriend dumbass, what is wrong with you?" he seemed concerned.

"Willlliamam ohhh! Hi."

"Hi, now where the hell are you?"

"Nico get off the phone and have fun!" Ethan yelled again. He and his buddies were everywhere some dancing, drinking, smoking, or making out. There was a girl making out with the wall and for a minute I forgot about Will on the other end.

It was fascinating with the yellow lights flashing everywhere I could see. A shimmer of gold on the wall caught with the light looked magical.

"I just love the color yellow," I cheered then hung up my phone and slid it back into my pocket. Ethan and his friends were screaming at something but I was too interested in the rainbow lights now.

After a half an hour I felt the high fading away so I did another line to remain back on top. One of the downfalls of cocaine was it didn't last all that long and you were left craving another line or two. It was when I had brought my head up I saw someone I recognized.

Not thinking anything of it, I run up to him and hug him. "William~" I sang. Behind him were Frank and Hazel.

"Hazel!" I beamed and hugged her. "I love you so much," I said before dancing some more. Will looked around to the mess of people half passed out and shitfaced on whatever. It didn't help that there were still a few grams of coke on the table behind me.

"Nico come on let's go," Will pulled on my arm.

"You're hot you know that."

He didn't say anything but pulled me harder till I went with him. "BYee!" I yelled. Frank and Hazel were talking and Will was looking through my pockets.

"More to the left," I smirked to him. He got my keys and threw them to Frank. "Aw but that was not fun."

"It will start to wear off about in thirty minutes or so, since he last you know," Hazel said in a monton voice. She seemed sad but I couldn't tell why at the time.

Will nodded and guided me into a blue almost purple car. "Are you okay to drive," Will asked Hazel and she nodded. I was preoccupied with Will's hair and how cute he was I didn't notice getting into the car.

"I feel like fucking you," I laughed not caring that my sister most likely heard me or the fact I probably looked like shit.

My nose burned and I couldn't breathe out of it without feeling gross. When we arrived home I was more or less numb. I was bored if anything else. Hazel and Frank stayed for a while to make sure I was okay.

When they left I was alone with a quiet Will. I felt the energy I had go away and remembered my plan about no one finding out. Wow, that failed big time.

"We can talk about this tomorrow," Will mumbled and laid me in my bed. I didn't want to sleep but felt like I should. "Can you stay?" I asked grasping at his hand before he left.

He walked out into the halls and all the lights were off. I laid there in the dark. _I deserve this. I was stupid, now he hates me like everyone else._

After a while, Will returned with a cup of water in hand and a box of tissues. "I don't know what you should do after uh-"

"Doing a few lines of coke?" I added sulking in my own misery.

"Yeah," he muttered.

I took the water and drank some before flopping back down. To my shock, Will laid next to me and held onto my waist. He was warm as normal but I could tell he wasn't okay. I didn't blame him, rather I didn't know how to comfort him.

"Don't fucking do that _ever_ again, I mean it. You scared the shit out of me, _Nico._ " His voice broken and I could feel tears form in my eyes. I didn't say anything I couldn't. I just closed my eyes and hoped it was just a nightmare.

Tomorrow was going to be Hell if it wasn't just a bad dream.


	38. Will: Chapter XXXVIII

I untangled myself from Nico and quietly walked out to the kitchen, to fix myself a bowl of cereal. I ate outside for a change. It was sunny and already warm out this morning and it felt good to bask in it for a while.

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep because Nico was poking me when I opened my eyes. "You are going to spill your food," he muttered.

I looked at the cereal bowl in my hand and quickly moved it and set it on the table. Nico sat down on one of the chairs and lit a cigarette. The cool breeze felt kinda nice with the warm sun.

His hands seemed worse than before, the bandages were off and most likely the place he was at a few nights ago was not clean. I think there was even blood on the ceiling, then again most of that night was a blur.

It was weird seeing Nico act like that, he was nothing like himself. I knew he had a passed but I didn't really think about it too much. The image of him actually snorting drugs was all I could see the first few times I looked at him.

Hazel filled me in on a few things while Nico wasn't in earshot. I didn't know what to do or how to act. Was it okay to ask questions or should I shut up and mind my business. He is my boyfriend so I deserve some answers right?

In the end, I didn't ask him too much, he seemed to do better when I left the subject alone but stayed with him. He wasn't up for talking much anyway. In the last three days he seemed to come back to normal.

The first morning he wasn't so good, it was like he had the flu and you couldn't talk to him unless you were whispering. Now he was shakier than normal but said it happened to him when he stopped using before. Today he seemed to look a lot better, the dark circles under his eyes where less prominent and he seemed more upbeat about things.

"Come on, I'll fix up your hands again and this time you won't take the bandages off till I say."

He smirked lightly and put out his cigarette, following me into the house. "I took the last ones off because they were itchy and annoying."

"Sure," I said sarcastically.

"What does that mean?" he said with my level of sarcasm. "Oh, nothing, darling," I said returning with the first aid kit I had. He set out his hands and I cleaned them up before putting new bandages over them.

"They should heal over if you keep that on and don't do something crazy like punch a brick wall or something."

He shook his head. "I would never."

I gave him a look that said I didn't believe him and put away the first aid kit. "Now, you need to eat," I said walking back out to him. He groaned but I ignored him and got out some fruit before cutting it up and handing him a bowl of apples, strawberries, blueberries, and a banana.

After a while, I sat at the coffee table looking over some of my work. I had three books to read in a month and I had read exactly zero pages of any of them. I started back to school but this time spaced out my classes better than the mess of the years before.

It was something that would work well with my schedule at Latte's. I had everything I needed laying out in front of me. A notebook, neon text cards, pens, pencils because I can't use pens without messing up, and a few books.

So far I had gotten one chapter read for my language class and that was it. I took Spanish through high school and still could only tell you the basics. I learned a few words here and there but most of them were curses from Leo.

I sighed and leaned back far enough that my head was resting on the couch. "Just five minutes and I will finish my work."

An hour later Nico was walking into the house yelling in Italian. He had a few grocery bags with him and set them on the counter with a slight struggle.

"Saltare di palo in frasca," he said before rolling his eyes. "I know," he muttered before hanging upon them. When he turned to see me looking at him he laughed, soon we were both laughing at literally nothing but it was hilarious.

"I think we are starting to go crazy," Nico muttered before he started putting the groceries away.

I cleaned up my stuff on the table before I had to go into work. I was working two hours tonight which wasn't bad just boring. Also creepy with it being dark outside. For some reason, all I could do is think about that one episode of SpongeBob where they get a call from this creepy killer Squidward makes up but it ends with them both getting scared.

When the door opened I jumped at the sound. There was a young girl maybe six or seven pulling her brother or someone in their teens along.

"I want strawberry cookies," the girl said cheerfully. The boy nodded and ordered two strawberry cookies and a small hot chocolate.

The guy paid and sat at one of the tables the little girl talking about frogs or something. I wasn't sure.

Calypso was taking out the older food from the windows and replacing it with fresh food. We didn't have too much leftover but what we did she would normally try and donate it do any shelters nearby.

There was nothing wrong with the food just a policy that it had to be made fresh every day.

When I was taking the trash out into the alley dumpster I got a text. I threw the bags into the dumpster and pulled my phone out to look at the text.

 **Nico:** _ **So you're not afraid?**_

 **Will:** _ **Pff, what are you talking about?**_

 **Nico:** _ **Well, you know . . .**_

 **Will:** _ **What? What do I know?!**_

 **Nico:** _ **You don't remember? He was all over the news . . . The Hash Slinging Slasher!**_

He sent a picture of the character from Spongebob with that text. It was the creepy episode I was thinking about since I got here. I forgot it was on last night and surprisingly Nico really liked it.

 **Will:** _ **You dickhead I am in a dark alleyway and you do this? Meanie!**_

 **Nico:** _ **Aw you're welcome, Sunshine.**_

When I got home Nico was on the couch passed out with a remote in hand and horror movie on the tv. He looked so cute. I was happy to see him sleeping, something that didn't happen too much for him.

It was late so I figured I'd just let him lay there rather than waking him to go to his room or whatever. I grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and covered him, taking the remote and placing it on the coffee table.

When I looked at him again I got the urge to kiss him, so I did. I went to kiss him softly on the cheek put at the last minute he turned. I kissed him on the lips instead. His eyes slowly opened to see me looking amused and also caught off guard.

He sat up and looked me over. "Damn, Solace buy me dinner first."

I couldn't help but laugh at his comment. He seemed so proud of it too. I put my hand out for him to grab but he ignored it. "Nope, you have to carry me. My bed, your room is too . . . colorful."

"You're going to be sleeping, what does it matter?" I laughed. "I will still know it's there."

I rolled my eyes and picked him up over my shoulder. "Classy as always," he hit my ass as I took him to his room.

I put him on his bed and he got undressed leaving on his underwear, I followed him and took off my clothes and joined him in his bed.

"Stop taking all the covers!" I pulled them from him. "My bed my rules, if you want the blankets you have to work for them."

"That is bullshit just let me be warm," I whined and rolled closer to him. After threatening to tickle him he gave in. I kissed him goodnight and hugged him close. I could get used to sleeping next to him, even if he did kick me sometimes.


	39. Nico: Chapter XXXIX

"So help me if you get soap in my eyes," I muttered to Will.

"Trust the great one," he said adding the shampoo to my hair. His touch was relaxing and helped the small headache I had for the past week fade away. "See told you," I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut up," I muttered.

We switched places and I rinsed out the shampoo in the overly hot water. How could anyone think that it was nice to have their skin melted off? It didn't take long before it was all washed out and Will rushed back into the water.

"Wow, love you too," I said sarcastically. He only smirked and pulled me closer, he closed the rest of the space with his lips on mine.

I melted into the kiss, literally, he still had the lava water running. I always thought showers with someone you were in a relationship with were cute but I was just annoyed. The kisses helped make up for it though.

His tongue brushed over mine and I was lost in his touch again. Before anything else happened the doorbell rang. "I'm not getting it," I said kissing him again.

He smirked and kissed back until the doorbell rang again. "I guess I'm getting it then," he hopped out and quickly dried off before throwing on a yellow robe that almost matched the color of the walls.

I sighed and let the water run down my face.

After it burned too much I got out of the shower. I dried off and walked to my room quickly.

The voices in the living room sounded familiar but I couldn't place them. I decided it would probably be best if I was dressed and not in only a towel.

I threw on a pair of shorts and a random shirt that was laying on my bed. It was a little big and smelled of citrus. It was Will's but I didn't much care at the moment. I ran a hand through my messy hair and brushed through the wavy curls.

"I seriously had to come check up on you because you couldn't text or call. I mean you are twenty-two Will," the voice grew louder.

"Who was at the doo-" I was drying my hair and quickly threw the towel into the closest room, which was the bathroom. No one seemed to notice though and if they did they didn't say anything.

There was a woman who looked a lot like Will in the kitchen with a girl about twelve-thirteen at his side. I now remembered them, Will's mom and stepsister.

Will was just nodding and sheepishly replying, which might I add made him totally hotter. I was suddenly very glad I was dressed when I walked out.

"Nico, how are you?" Naomi walked over and hugged me. I have not had so many hugs in my life since I have meant Will and his family. _What the fuck is wrong with these people?_

"Good, you?" I questioned.

She let go and smiled. "I'm good but I would be better if my son remembered to check-in," she shook her head at Will.

I slapped Will in the arm. "Manners William. How could you do that to your mother." I'm not sure where that came from but I hadn't felt like teasing him much lately.

Naomi and his sister Jessica I think her name was, were both surprised by want I said. "I just forgot. I had school, work, an-" I cut him off with a shake of the head.

"You guys are impossible," Will muttered. Jessica laughed out.

"Nope, he hasn't gotten any less dramatic since he left," Naomi smiled.

I laughed at that comment.

"And why are you not dressed did I not raise you better," Naomi spoke again. Will threw up his hands and walked into the hall. "What happened to my gray shirt?" he yelled.

I looked at the gray shirt I was wearing and shrugged. "No idea, Will, you must have misplaced it," I said before walking into the kitchen.

"Do you guys want anything to drink?" I asked changing the subject.

"Do you have soda?" Jessica asked. I nodded, "I think Will got some the other day." I searched the fridge until I found a Sprite.

"Thanks," Jessica said taking the drink. She downed half of it before Will even walked back out.

When he did it was dramatic of course. He had on a pair of casual Nike shorts and a blue shirt with some galaxy logo on it. He looked _good_.

"Better?" he asked his mom. She nodded and handed him a plate of cookies. I seriously have no idea where she got them from or if they were there the whole time. I never noticed them before but it was like they appeared out of thin air.

"Chocolate chip!" he grinned ear to ear.

"Now you have to come visit me to return the plate," Naomi laughed. Her sense of humor was a lot like Will's. "Or I could just keep it?" he said with half of a cookie already gone.

Jessica just sighed. "Told you it was impossible."

I nodded in agreement.

"I am not-"

My phone rang cutting him off. I looked around the kitchen for a minute but didn't find it. It was Hazel's ringtone so I knew I only had a little till I found it or she would be worried.

Since my _little_ relapse when she called I had to answer or she would call Will. So that's what she did. Will pulled his phone out of his pocket with a chuckle. He answered it mouth still full of cookies.

"Yep, ahuh. He is right her-" I took the phone from him and walked over to the living room. "Hi, Hazel-"

"Is your head getting better?" She asked cutting me off. "Yeah better."

It didn't take her long to bring up how I should talk with dad. She hated seeing us fight or in most cases just not talk. "No, I am not talking to dad again." I walked out to the back porch and lit a cigarette. I didn't feel too bad about leaving Will with his family for a little.

"Nico, I know he was a-"

"Dick?" I suggested.

She sighed in defeat. "Are you smoking again?" I shook my head then remembered she couldn't see me.

"Not the point. I talked to him yesterday and he was less bitchy, but I am not making any more effort."

I took a few more drags out of the cigarette trying to get my temper back in order before going back inside.

"I will break him down and once I do, you two will talk again," she said firmly as if it were not up for discussion.

I knew it wasn't.

I put the cigarette out and walked back inside. "Anyway Neek's, I'll talk to you later, love you."

I nodded again forgetting she still couldn't see me. "Yeah, love you too, bye."

I hung up and frowned at Will's phone background. _He was an ass._ It was of me that one day he took my picture and made me run after him through a park only to learn he sent them to Hazel.

I sighed and handed Will his phone back.

"Everything good?" Naomi asked with a kind smile. She didn't seem like she was being nosy but like wanted to make sure I was good.

"Yeah, my sister is just a bit overprotective," I said truthfully. She nodded and they were back to talking about food.

"You two can come over for a Sunday roast," Naomi grinned. Something that was interesting about her was that she used to live in England for a few years before college.

Before Will answered I did. "That sounds great. It would be nice not to have to cook."

Her smile only grew when I said that. "Great it will be at six."

When they left Will walked them out and I swear I saw Jessica wink at me and Will. I think she saw through the act.

I didn't care all that much and I knew Will was out to his family or most of them that is. His family was super supportive of him, especially his dad's side.

His dad was bisexual proud one at that, then his aunt was asexual. The whole family had a tie to the LGBTQ+ community.

When he walked back in he was frowning, which looked like a sad kitten. "What?" I asked.

He looked me down and I was just about to whack him across the head if he didn't start talking soon.

"I just don't understand why you took my shirt," he said with now a fake sense of sadness. _Was he serious right now?_

"I got to it first, it was fair game, Solace."


	40. Will: Chapter XL

I was very excited about today and had been for a little while. I was going to surprise Nico with a date night. We never actually been on a date and when I told Kayla she kinda told me to get my shit together, after cursing for a while.

It was going to be perfect too. I got the food prepared while he was out for a new job interview for the job he really wanted this time. The last one didn't turn out to be all that great as far as benefits went.

"Okay, okay, I got the stuff packed just stop making me nervous," I told my sister. It was tempting to hang up on her. "I am just saying make sure to back some stuff for," she paused for a moment before continuing.

"Sorry Austin ordered something anyway, make sure to pack stuff for uh dessert," she laughed and I could hear the wink when she said that. I rolled my eyes even if she couldn't see me. "I am going to hang up on you one of these days."

"Hey! At least I didn't straight haha wait- at least I didn't just gay out tell you to pack condoms an-" I cut her off. "Kayla he is going to be home soon I don't want him seeing the picnic basket."

"Fine, good luck bro. Love ya."

"Love you too. See ya."

Before I hung up she yelled for me to get some. My family is classy . . . we just show it differently.

When I got off the phone with her I quickly put the basket in the back of my truck so Nico couldn't see it when he got in. I also managed a few blankets and pillows for in the bed of the truck.

It was the perfect time of year to do this even in my opinion a bit cold out. The smell of the crisp leaves and the way the night sky will look would be perfect. I knew Nico liked it much better when we weren't around a bunch of people so why not drive to a place no one was?

I'll admit that sounded like I was taking him there and leaving him there but still Piper and Kayla helped me figure out where to go and when they suggested it, it did not sound that creepy.

I got dressed quickly before Nico got home. I wore a pair of blue jeans, a baby pink shirt, with my yellow converse. Just as I finished up and felled all nice I heard the door open and shut. He was here. _Why was I so nervous?_ It isn't like I haven't been alone with him before.

"Darlin' how are ya?" I asked him pushing my anxiety away. I was not going to let anything ruin our date. I hugged him quickly before he complained about being hugged.

"Fine, why are you acting so weird?" he asked bluntly. I almost laughed, _was it that obvious?_

I shook my head trying my best to act carefree. "Nothing at all, I just have a surprise for you and am excited."

He looked me up and down before looking back to my eyes. His stare sometimes made me want to either kiss him madly or run far away. He had such an intimidating stare it was difficult to tell when he was serious or was like is dad's bitch face.

I didn't break eye contact this time only winked. "What is it?" he asked finally stopping the bitch face. "Now it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now would it?"

Before he could object I quickly pushed him off to his room. "You have fifteen minutes to get ready and be in the truck. Dress warm and comfy."

I knew I confused him and probably pissed him off by making it a surprise but I couldn't help it. He looked so cute when he was confused and kinda mad at the same time.

I got the rest of the stuff ready and checked to make sure I knew where the location was. I did not want us to get lost. I knew I was bad with directions, to begin with. When I put the garage door up Piper was walking out of her car.

"Okay, so I thought some stuff from Latte's would be nice. Plus your sister owes me now."

Before I could question her she just handed me the small bag all nicely made up with a bow. It looked like a birthday gift if anything else. She left quickly and not too long after Nico walked out in black skinny jeans, a black Skillet t-shirt, and his worn black converse.

I shoved the bag into the back and got in the truck.

Nico was looking out the windows questioning where were we going but I never told him. He didn't like surprises sometimes. Then I got an idea. It was kinda hit or miss but I thought I'd give it a try.

When we were at a stop sign I quickly reached back and got the bow off the gift thing Piper gave me. I untangled it and handed it to Nico.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Put it on dumbass," I laughed at his expression. "What the fuck, no. You act like I'm going to be murdered or some shit."

There was luckily no one behind us at this point so I put the truck in park and leaned over to kiss him. "Trust me, you will like the surprise," I said when I pulled away. He glared as usual but put the ribbon over his eyes.

"You kill me, I'm haunting you," he muttered.

"I would expect nothing less of you."

I continued the drive and managed to get there without getting lost. The dirt path was just wide enough for me to drive on and get to the edge. The place was far enough out that no one should be out here.

"Stay here I'll get you out." Before he could object I got out and came around to his door. I pulled it open and helped him out before taking the blindfold off. "Look up," I whispered.

The sun was setting when we left and by now it was gone and the smaller stars made their appearance. I guided him to the bed of the truck and opened the tailgate, I started to roll back the tonneau cover revealing the mess of blankets and pillows.

"You spend way too much time on Tumblr," he laughed. "But it is cute."

I helped him up and I got the food from the back of the truck. When I returned he already had a blanket wrapped warmly around him.

I climbed up and placed the food all out in front of us. Since I was horrible at cooking I just made the thing I couldn't mess up, store-bought food. I got some food from his favorite places and put them on to plates to look nicer.

Kayla was right about it being a good night to do this, the sky was clear from here and you could see all the bright stars shining down.

"Dinner is served," I faked my best French accent and set a plate in front of him. He smiled and kissed me sweetly.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

I watched him eat before I remembered that was a weird thing to do and picked up my own food. "So what made you do all this?" he questioned.

I shrugged. "I can't just do something nice?"

He glared at me.

"I mean it. I just figured we were never on a date before so why not, plus I told Kayla about us and she might have cursed me out because I was not a gentleman apparently."

That answer he seemed satisfied with. "Well she is right," he said with a smirk.

"Are you kidding me?"

"You just want in my pants."

He did his best to mocking my dramatics. "I feel personally attacked right now," I muttered to him. He just smiled innocently, "good."

"You are seriously impossible, you know that?" he nodded proudly before taking another bite of food.

When we were finished I pack the stuff up and put it back in the truck, I looked down at the gift bag Piper handed me and cautiously took it back with me.

"What's that?" Nico asked. "No idea, Piper gave it to me before we left." I handed it to Nico and he opened it slowly before laughing and showing me.

"I can't believe my sister had Piper send us condoms and lube . . . actually, yeah I can," I laughed. Nico chuckled a little more and came closer to sit on my lap. "It's not like we can't put them to use," he whispered in my ear. I was glad it was dark out because I knew I was blushing, a lot.

He nibbled on my ear before moving down to my neck with a mix of soft and rough kisses. I pulled him up to my face and kissed him on the mouth. Gods, I will never get used to the feeling of his lips on mine. It feels like everything else just disappears and it's only us.

He pulled on my shirt and I gladly threw it off before we started to make out again. His hands roamed around at the waistband of my jeans making them tighter with every touch. I gasp with pleasure when he brushed his hand over my groin.

He chuckled into the kiss and did it again. He pulled back and unbuttoned my pants pulling them off quickly. Before I could think he pulled down my boxers. For a moment I forgot about the scars. "Wait," I muttered but it was clear that they were there. I couldn't hide them like I did last time.

Nico saw my worry and without skipping a beat just leaned down and kissed each of the scars on my thighs. When he looked up to me I couldn't think, everything I knew how to say was gone. "Speechless for once, thank the gods-"

I pulled him into a kiss, this one slow. No one had ever done anything like that to me before. No one really even saw the scars because I hid them the best I could. I just didn't understand how could such a simple act could feel so overwhelmingly good.


	41. Nico: Chapter XLI

I woke up to an anxious Will apparently he got a call saying his dad was coming here and he had to pick him up at four. "So he just randomly called you and said that?"

He nodded sadly. "I know I should be happy to see him again but he's just-" he paused for a minute. "-dramatic and a lot of work to keep up with."

"Hey, I'm sure it will be fine. How bad can one person be?"

"He is no longer allowed in Canada, he actually got banned from a whole country in one day."

I'll admit if that is true and not Will's bullshit he might be more work than I anticipated. But I didn't let Will see my worry. "William it will be fine. He's your dad he is bound to be dramatic."

I gave him a quick kiss on the lips before I went off to work. It will be nice and also kinda nostalgic when I quit working at the graveyard. This was like a second home as creepy as it sounds. I spent more time here than at home when I was a teenager.

It wasn't a bad job or anything and before school, I thought about just doing this, I didn't dislike it. But Hazel helped me figure out what I wanted to do and I thought why not blood spatter analysis.

When I got to the graveyard there were hardly any people there, as normal. I walked into the office and grabbed my to-do list for the day. "The keys might be helpful," I said to myself and went back to get the keys for the backhoe.

I had three graves to dig and clean the south section of the lot. Today was like the others where I came up with different ideas of what this person looked like or did for a living. Would anyone show up at the funeral? Maybe all their loved ones were dead.

When I was younger I always thought when I died nobody would even show up. And at that time it was probably true, I didn't have friends and even my dad was still bitter and the fights we got into. But now it seemed different.

I had so many people in my life that actually seemed to care, it was a foreign feeling to have. All I think about is trying not to fuck up too badly that they leave me.

Before I knew it the holes were dug and I was off to clean up trash that was left behind by the human scum.

The south side of the lot wasn't so bad. It had trash and a few homeless people lying about but they were pretty nice. One of the girls' name was Lizzy and she put a flower on everyone's grave at Christmas.

I'm not sure where she got them at the end of December but she manages to set one on all the graves that were bare.

I waved at her before I left and she smiled back. I never talked to her over the years and I'm not too sure she can even talk, to begin with.

I threw the trash away and manage to remember to put the keys back and to take my check. After going to the bank and depositing it I drove home.

When I walked in there was a note on the counter in Will's overly nice handwriting.

 _"Someone called off so I had to work, should be back by three. Can you make sure my room is clean I might have told my dad he could stay in there since I sleep with you half the time anyway._

 _Love Ya,_

 _Will"_

I signed but did just that. After I ate a quick lunch I walked back and cleaned up his room. It wasn't too bad. I just changed the sheets and fluffed the pillows. I picked up the random rainbow of clothes on the floor and washed them.

It took no more than twenty minutes to do. When I was done I swept the house and did some laundry. I know I am living the life.

When I was finished I laid down and watched some lifetime movie with a psycho neighbor who turns out to be this one guy's son and is living in the abandoned house across the street. He also might have killed someone I'm not sure I got up to get a drink and she was just laying there.

When Will got home he showered and we drove to the airport to pick up his dad. "Kayla could have told me he was coming into town but no."

"She might not have known."

He shook his head. "Oh, she knew."

I signed and we walked into the building, I lead the way knowing if Will did he would be lost.

I held his hand so he wouldn't get lost it was like I was dating a seven-year-old sometimes. And you might be thinking how do you lose someone as tall or as blond and colorful as Will?

It is easier than you think.

"Oh no," Will muttered.

The guy walked towards us with very tan skin, blonder than blond hair, and bright blue eyes. His eyes were more of an icy blue compared to Will's ocean blue eyes.

"Will!" he yelled getting almost everyone's attention. "I missed you!" they hugged and I really hoped he didn't see me. I was almost tempted to try and blend in with the family to my left but it was too late.

Eye contact was made.

"You must be Nico, Will talks about you a lot. You better be treating my son right because if not I will have to kick your ass."

"Dad!" Will yelled. Apollo stopped and laughed. "I'm kidding, of course, I would have your sister do it. Her left hook is killer . . . literally."

Before I knew it he hugged me and had an arm around me and Will. We walked back to the truck and threw his luggage into the back of the bed.

"So, what does a guy have to do to get ice cream around here. I asked the flight attendant on the plane and he just said about the place around the corner. So can we go?"

I shrugged not really caring either way, Will nodded.

We drove around till Will found it and was able to find a parking space. It was one of the older shops from the looks of it. It was cool looking though.

When we walked in the tile floors looked light the pastel side of Wills closet, and yes he has a specific section for pastels.

Don't ask why unless you want to hear a life story.

I didn't look at the menu because I didn't really get anything but vanilla with rainbow sprinkles and every place has that. Will ordered cookies and cream, and his dad got mint chocolate chip along with the cashiers' number.

"New York was always so full of life," Apollo said swinging his legs off the wall he was sitting on. We found a spot outside in front of the building where there was a cement wall. It was perfect to just sit back and relax surprisingly.

"You say that every time."

Apollo looked at his son with shock. "I will have you know I met several of my significant others here and _two_ of them didn't even change their name after the break-up."

Okay, this might be a long week or however long he was staying but I knew one thing, it was not going to be boring with Apollo here.

He landed no more than a half an hour ago and had gotten five people's numbers. "So why did you decide to come back here?" I asked.

He smiled and stopped what he was doing like I just gave him a compliment on his outfit or something. "Well I thought I'd visit Will for starter then I got to thinking about how I missed the clubs here and couldn't wait to fly out. So I took my sister's flyer miles and came out here."

Will looked horrified for some reason. "You used Artemis's flyer miles?! Do you not remember what happened last time?"

Apollo nodded grimly. "I did not look good bald, not even I, the prettiest man born looked good. She is mean sometimes. I left her some cash for them so she couldn't be too mad this time."

"She's going to kill you," Will muttered to his dad.


	42. Will: Chapter XLII

For some reason, Nico's room was always hotter than mine. I wasn't sure if he had a secret space heater hidden in the room or if we transported to the pits of Hell.

It didn't help when he was clinging onto my back either, but at the same time, he seemed cold. It was weird.

I turned over to face him instead of getting up. The fact he agreed to be my boyfriend still was a shock to me somehow. I just never really pictured finding someone as amazing as he was to even look at me twice.

He was still asleep, he was truly adorable when he slept. No glare or snarky comments just his cute innocent face. It was all interrupted when I heard a crash in the kitchen. I almost forgot about my dad staying with us for a few days.

Nico didn't seem to notice the sounds and was soundly sleeping next to me. I slowly get up and throw on one of my t-shirts before walking out to see what state the house was in.

I shut the door behind me and walked out to see my father in the kitchen cooking french toast in a towel. "Oh good morning my dear son," Apollo sang. It was like being back at his house, except this time I didn't have my siblings around to help tame the man.

"What are you doing and why are you not dressed?" I asked not sure I wanted any answers.

"What do you mean I have a towel on, it covers everything. I even have one on as a hair net too." He pointed to the mess of a towel on his head for the effect.

I sighed.

At least he had _something_ on.

I remember one time Austin and I had to chase after him in the streets to at least put underwear on. It was not something a twelve-year-old needed to see.

"Can you- I don't know, get dressed soon though?" I did try to be nice even though I knew it wouldn't work with him.

"I don't understand. Why should I cover such a masterpiece like this?"

"Because no one needs to see it, just please get dressed, the neighbors already hate us!" I yelled. He shook his head. "They do not dislike you. Trust me I would know, do you remember the time we were in Canada-"

Nico walked out in zombie mode like he normally did. He walked past us and got coffee, on his way back to his room he told us to: "shut the fuck up."

"Fine, I will get dressed after I finish breakfast. I have a meeting with an old friend anyway and should be dressed for that."

I thanked him before going and getting ready for work. If I knew my dad had been staying I probably would have called off to spend a little more time with him but it was last minute and I'm sure no one would want to cover my shifts.

I was just grateful for not having classes for the day, I don't think I would have been able to focus on them if I did.

"What time are you done today?" Nico asked not looking up from a book he was reading. I threw on my shoes and fixed up my hair. "I think about six, depends if Leo gets there on time tonight."

He nodded and said bye before I walked out the door. I was nervous leaving him here with my dad or maybe just nervous about leaving my dad in my house in general. Either way, I was not looking forward to being gone most of the day making coffees and cleaning dishes.

When I got to Latte's it was decked out in the best Halloween decorations I've seen in a while. Piper decided it needed to be re-done since the last time she decorated she wasn't all that happy with that outcome.

Personally, they both looked good but this was magazine-worthy. It was scary and aesthetically pleasing to look at. Of course, she complained about there not being as much blood as she would have liked, and how "age-appropriate" for kids is something new today.

For the most part, my day wasn't very much eventful, something I was grateful for. If I'm being honest I kind of thought I would have gotten a call from my father saying he was in jail again. From his last trip to New York or the few states we lived in together, I knew a lot of the names of officers and other people who worked in the jail.

They were kind enough to usually just hold him unless he did something really bad or he most likely didn't mean to do whatever he did.

"I can't believe you just picked him up at the airport," Lou said taking her coffee from the counter. I closed the register and made the next person's drink.

"Why? He's my dad I would be a dic- bad person if I didn't." I corrected my curse word seeing how I was at work and some of the people in the shop were under the age of eleven at least.

"Yeah, but I mean he could have I don't know said something. So it would be karma, you know."

She had a point, but I just shrugged it off. I was just a nice person when it came to the people I loved. Whether it meant I was a pushover or not, most of the time I just liked to be there for people. Usually, the people who were there for me when I was in a bad place, it's my way of paying them back, I guess.

"I'm just saying don't let him use ya. Also maybe you and Nico could come bowling sometime. Cecil has been back into playing Wii bowling and I kinda told him I can kick his ass at it in real life so I need you on my team."

I smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan, text me later about it."

She agreed and left the shop and I continued work before heading outback for my break.

Even with it being autumn now, I still liked going outside for my break. I was not a fan of cold weather but I still enjoyed the view for as long as I could. On my break, I went over the things I had for my two hardest classes.

This year was definitely more difficult than last year's classes. I also had a much harder time focusing on the work than before. It wasn't because I had something better to do or even the people in my life.

I was in a good place, I had a good job, an amazing boyfriend, great friends, and my mental health was going well too. It was just like my mind wanted to think of something new and never focus on anything for more than a minute.

In all honesty, I thought I outgrew it as dumb as it sounds. Over the years I learned new tricks to focus without the help of medication or anything like that. Personally, if I didn't have to take pills I wouldn't but as I got older it got harder to ignore and outsmart even.

When I walked back inside I got right back to work. I had washed everything and made one too many hot chocolates. Whenever it got to the fifties (ten, celsius) it was game for the hot drinks and out most popular was the hot chocolates.

My personal favorite to make was the rainbow one and not just because it looked the gayest, but because it was so pleasing to make. It was popular with kids and I loved seeing their smiles and amazed faces when they received the drink.

"What up Will," Leo said walking in. he seemed different. There was something about him that changed and I couldn't quite place what it was.

"Notice anything," he asked crossing his leg over the other as he leaned onto the wall awkwardly.

Calypso walked in behind him with an unamused face. "He got heels."

Sure enough, when I looked down to his feet he was wearing heels, only these were more like platform sneakers. They looked like normal red converse just with a five-inch wedge underneath them.

"Whoa, when did you get those?" I questioned.

He grinned. "This morning! I ordered them last month and they were custom made and everything. I even got them fireproofed, just I hope I don't have to test that out."

"Sure. either way, they look nice on you," I said truthfully. It looked no different than any other thing he wore. He thanked me and took over my shift.

I hadn't realized how tired I was until I was outside and walking to my truck. It felt nice to be able to go home and hopefully sleep. The thought was what got me through most of my days of work.

 _ **A/N: (Play the song, "Matador" by The White Buffalo).**_

I started my car and buckled my seatbelt before plugging my phone in and searching for a good song before I left. Once I found one I turned out of the parking lot to head home. I loved most of the songs in Sons of Anarchy, they just were so relaxing to me so I went with one from their playlist.

It was dark on my drive back home but it was something I was getting used to again as the seasons changed. In the fall the sun just never lasted as long as I would have liked. I hated to drive at night but sometimes it is what it is, I guess.

Stopping at the red light I turned the volume up a bit to keep myself awake and I did my best to sing along to the words of the song. I didn't know much of the lyrics so I was mostly just humming to the song instead. The streets were pretty clear.

The foggy night was like something you would have seen in a horror movie where the killer would be chasing after their victim, but at last, it wasn't a horror movie it was real life. And real life is much harsher than any slasher movie I have ever watched.

When the light turned green I went to turn before I saw the bright lights head towards me. I couldn't move or do anything all I saw were the bright headlights of a truck coming closer and closer in my direction.

I heard the last lyrics of the song before the impacted hit me with a deafening crunch.

 _"He kills in plain sight_

 _With a blade and a smile."_

Before I knew it, everything went black.


	43. Nico:Chapter XLIII

_**A/N: (Play the song, "You are my Sunshine" by Jamey Johnson).**_

The thoughts of my mother and sister washed over me on the way to the hospital. Normally I hated anyone driving my car but I didn't even think twice when Apollo took my keys from me.

It was happening all over again I thought. It was like the morning I got to see Bianca bruised in a hospital bed only to hear the deafening sound of the heart monitor flat line. All I could see was red from the flipped car, as a kid, I didn't think anything of it that night but when the realization hit, it was all I could think about.

"Nico, I'm sure he's going to be fine. The doctors will have him up and back to normal soon enough, I'm sure of it," Apollo said trying to calm me down.

It didn't work very much but I did my best to nod and to think he was right. Will would be fine, he had to be.

The drive felt like hours instead of minutes, Apollo had even worst driving skills than Will but at least we technically didn't hit anything . . . just came close to it until it ran away in fear.

When we ran into the hospital Apollo guided us to the waiting area where I saw his mother and siblings waiting, just as nervous as I looked or felt like I looked.

I felt like throwing up seeing the white walls all over again. The smell of a hospital was something engraved into the back of my head forever.

I didn't really hear anything anyone was saying everything around me seemed like a big blur that was rushing past me.

Apollo talked with who I assumed to be the doctor as I waited with his mom and sisters. Lila was sleeping on Jessica's lap with her thumb in her mouth. Jessica looked tired but forced herself to stay awake.

"Good news, he is okay just some cuts and scratches however he did pass out so they are keeping him for the night to make sure he didn't hurt his head. Bad news, the truck is totaled and he will have to get a new one," Apollo said casually.

I felt the weight on my chest fade mostly away after hearing he was going to be okay. Naomi looked relieved as well.

I stayed in the waiting room with Lila and Jessica as Will's parents checked up on him. He was sleeping, so it wasn't like they could talk to him and he would answer back, but they wanted to be there when he woke up.

After a few hours, Naomi took the kids home for some sleep. Apollo said about going home and I gave him my keys and told him to get clothes for Will then come back. To my surprise, he seemed to listen.

I managed to walk into Will's room. He was sleeping again which I was kinda grateful, I didn't want to talk. I knew I liked him but my mind thinking the worst when I heard he was in a crash made me realize just how much I lik- loved him.

From what Naomi said he was awake for a few minutes before going back to sleep. The doctors said he should be cleared to leave today but I questioned how they knew considering he had been asleep nearly the whole time.

I held his hand as I rested my head on the edge of the bed waiting for him to wake up again. All I see was the flipped car of my mother's and not even knowing it was her car at first made me want to scream at myself or maybe if I made them stay home that night it wouldn't have ended that way.

I snapped back to reality when I felt Will's handhold onto mine. I looked up and was met with his bright blue eyes. He looked tired and drugged up on something but other than that he seemed to be fine other than the few cuts.

"What happened?" he asked in a raspy voice. I explained most of what I knew to him and how he was in the hospital. He seemed more worried about his truck than anything else.

"And who are you?" he asked with a confused look. Oh gods, but I remembered Apollo saying that he was fine nothing major and I think losing your memory would be something major

Then I saw the stupid smirk on his face.

"You fucking bitch! I thought you were serious!" I yelled wanting to slap him. He only laughed at my panic state before sitting up in his bed.

"Come on Neek's I'd never forget you," he said with the stupid grin he always wore when I was around him. "If you weren't in a hospital and hurt I would slap that grin off your face," I muttered to him.

In honesty, I probably would and I'm pretty sure he knows that because after that he changed the subject.

"Where's my dad?" he asked curiously.

"Went home to get you some clothes and who knows what else he is doing."

I sat back in the chair still holding Will's warm hand. "How much do you want to bet he brings me a yellow shirt with my rainbow sweatpants?" he chuckled.

"Definitely," I said confidently. I hadn't known Apollo for that long but I felt almost sure that he would bring one of the gayest things Will owned that was also conveniently comfortable.

When I notified the doctor that Will was awake they did a few tests that I tuned out and Apollo returned soon after along with the bright clothes like Will and I bet he would have brought.

"Just take it easy for the next few days and you should be fine. No heavy lifting or anything too straining on your torso. We bandaged the cut however if you rip it you will need to come in for stitches."

Will nodded and quickly got dressed in his new clothes. "I'll get the car," Apollo said before disappearing down the halls.

I helped Will as he was signed out and ready to go back home.

"You know you'll have to give me sponge baths," he whispered as we walked out into the lobby area. I almost choked earning a few stares from the people around us.

"You're a dick, Solace," I whispered to him. "You love me and my dick," he laughed.

It was so tempting to just let him fall right then and there but I managed to get him to the car and into the front seat all the while ignoring his comments. Once he was in I crawled in the back on the driver's side and let Apollo drive home.

The drive was quiet, other than Apollo talking about the doctor he met on his way out and how they are going to 'hang out' later. I really didn't need details but Apollo happily gave them to us without hesitation.

When we were home I made Will some food because he refused anything from the hospital. It didn't take that long to make considering I just gave him leftovers and a glass of tea.

Apollo took a cab into the city to do who knows what.

I took a seat next to Will and we watched Netflix shows and even a movie. It was a perfect day to stay inside because of the rain. I was just glad to have Will by my side and okay.


	44. Will: Chapter XLIV

I traced random scribbles on Nico's back as he slept. It was early so it would probably be another hour till he even woke up but I just liked to draw on his back. It was something that comforted me and he didn't mind.

Apollo decided to stay a while longer since my crash, but after a week I kinda wanted him to go back home. I was grateful for all the people who were concerned but I was sick of being babied.

Nico wouldn't even let me out of his sight for no more than a few minutes, that wasn't so bad. Another thing was watching Netflix, we watched a few series in the past week.

I watched out the window in Nico's room as the sun rose up from the sky. I was worried to be going back to work and to college Monday. I missed a lot with school and my anxiety didn't hesitate to remind me about it.

Nico and Apollo thankfully helped out with what assignments and things I needed to study, but I still worried when I got to the actual class it was going to be another level of hard.

Latte's was another thing, they told me to take my time and to work on school. Calypso even gave me a week off with pay.

With a sigh, I untangled myself from the bed and Nico's grasp before heading off to get a shower.

Most of my cuts and scratches healed over enough I could do things again. I hated not being able to do something because of a stupid cut on my torso. It was so stupid to me, but Nico would not budge on me resting.

The warm water hit my face and I relaxed into it. Letting it wash away my worries and troubles. I was not going to let things get to me anymore and that was a promise I made a long time ago.

I washed off with my favorite lemon body wash, I also was lazy and used it as shampoo even though I probably shouldn't have.

It smelled too nice not to.

When I was out of the shower I got dressed in my boxer-briefs and laid back down next to Nico. He seemed half awake but still sleeping if that makes sense.

"If I got a neck tattoo of a flamingo do you think it would look good?" I asked.

It was almost funny how much Nico hated being talked to like this in the mornings before coffee. He was like a zombie. A very angry zombie.

"No." his face was pressed into the pillow in what looked like irritation so I kept going with questions.

"Why does Slenderman dress so fancy? Like is that the dress code or does he just like being extra?"

No answer.

"What would it be like if cows had wings, do you think they would still like me?"

He groaned and threw a pillow at me, hitting me in the face. Then he just stared at the ceiling with a glare like it just offended his entire existence.

"Are you there Neek's?" I asked with laughter laced in my voice. He shook his head yes then no like he wasn't sure.

"Physically, yes. Mentally is debatable."

I laughed and got up. "Come on Neek's come get breakfast with me," I reached out my hand to help my half their boyfriend. He reluctantly got up and followed me out to the kitchen only after he wrapped himself in one of the blankets.

Despite the sun being out it was kind of rainy outside. The autumn weather was kicking in and you could tell it was going to be a cold winter.

The only thing I found positive about days like this was that the colorful leaves mixed with sun and rain helped create the perfect atmosphere for a movie marathon or binging something inside wrapped in a blanket.

Maybe even drinking hot tea and ignoring the small pile of bills on the counter and the lectures you have in two days.

My dad wasn't home so Nico and I had the house to ourselves for a little while. It was nice to just have some quiet in the house.

After Nico got his coffee he seemed to be more himself. I helped him make breakfast and by 'helped' I mean I got the plates and drinks.

We sat and ate before going to watch something. Nico had work but didn't have to leave till twelve.

"I think if you're going to save the city without people noticing it's you, it might be helpful to cover the stubble. You're telling me no one knows it's him?!" Nico ranted.

We were watching Arrow, I've seen most of the series except the last season, but when Nico said he hadn't watched it I had to rewatch it with him.

"It's a show, of course, they don't know," I said simply.

I rested my head on his shoulder and got comfy as he ran his fingers through my hair and talked about random things in the show.

It was nice, it was something I craved since I can remember. I always wanted someone who could just comfort me without thinking, without me asking. Nico was someone I realized I couldn't live without.

He was my light.

I know it's cheesy but my life started to be something brighter with him, which is actually ironic considering he is the embodiment of darkness.

I was content when I was with him.

Before I knew it the day had passed by so quickly it was now dark. I woke up thinking it was some other time zone. This is why I hated taking naps in the afternoon.

"Sleeping beauty is awake," Nico laughed walking over to me. He looked like he just got back home.

 _Did I sleep the whole time?_

I got up still confused by my nap. Nico surprised me by pulling me into a hug and I didn't need to hesitate to pull him up taking him to the couch.

"Will! You should not be lifting me, plus I hate it so put me the fuck down!" he yelled.

I sat him down and laughed. "You know you're not all that heavy right?"

"I don't know if that should be a compliment or insult," he muttered making eye contact.

"Just kiss me dumbass," I said with a grin.

He thought for a moment before rolling his eyes as he pulled me closer to him. Our lips met and I tasted the normal coffee and cigarette taste that was Nico di Angelo.

I held myself half up with my arms on either side of him. There was no better feeling than kissing him. There was no drug, no nothing that couldn't beat this.

The feeling of his tongue in my mouth or the sounds of soft moans that escaped when I would press my body up to his.

Then my father walked out in the loud manner he was.

"Aw, you two are so cute!"

I quickly get off Nico and did my best not to look as embarrassed as I was. I didn't even know Apollo was home but I guess he was.

He was wearing white skinny jeans ripped up the sides and stitched back together with rainbow string and a plain gray t-shirt. It was a weird look but it went well with his tan skin and blond hair.

"Where are you going?" I asked changing the subject to anything but Nico and me.

My father loved talking about himself so it didn't take much to switch topics with him. He grinned and happily told us that he was going to a club in the city.

"It is filled with beautiful people, of course not as beautiful as me but still it will be fun!"

He looked genuinely happy about going out to where ever the club was. Honestly, it wasn't anything unusual he liked the whole club scene every once in a while.

I sighed and leaned back to the couch with a slightly blushing Nico. He was getting used to my dad and I didn't know if I found it sad or funny, maybe both.

"Make sure you don't forget anything," I say staring at his wallet on the table but he took it as something else.

"Don't worry I have condoms and lube in my pockets," he said without missing a beat.

Nico and I both cringed at how happy he was about that and the fact my dad was just so open about his sex life.

It was things I didn't need to know.

"Not what I meant," I said flatly pointing to the wallet.

"Oh, that too."

When he left Nico and I laughed at the whole situation. It was like we were just told the funniest thing you could think of times ten.

We ended up watching a tv show before Nico when a got a shower. While he was in the shower my mom stopped by with food.

Since the crash, she would bring me cookies or some of her other delicious creations.

"Here honey, I thought you would like some cookies then I realized I had extra chili so I figure you guys could use some."

I helped her in with the food and thanked her before she left yelling at Jessica to turn the song down. Jessica gave me the thumbs up when they left.

After dinner, I did the stuff I had been putting off like paying bills and looking into getting a new vehicle soon.

I couldn't have Nico drive me everywhere he had a life too.

"Why can't I just eat cookies and kiss you?" I asked Nico when he walked out, seeing me sadly looking at papers and a plate of cookies.

He only rolled his eyes. "So dramatic."


	45. Nico: Chapter XLV

It was too early in the morning to hear any knocking and I thought for a minute it was Apollo. When I slowly opened my eyes I remembered what happened.

Yesterday was one of the best days I had in a while. Reason one was that I got a call telling me I got the job from my last interview. It was something I couldn't even imagine I could finally have a job I liked.

And reason two Apollo left to go back home. It was great having him here and helping out way more than I ever thought; however, it was nice not having to hear Will yell at him to get dressed.

I turned and breathed in the comforting scent of citrus. It was rare that I woke up before Will but I was grateful for it every time. He was adorable when he was sleeping, maybe because I got to stare without him making comments.

When the knocking on the door stopped I cuddled up to Will for warmth and tried to go back to sleep. That was all cut short when my bedroom door opened and a girl with braided hair burst through.

This is when Will woke up and almost fell out of the bed taking half the covers with him. I really regretted not getting dressed at this point.

Reyna however, didn't seem fazed about Will and I's nakedness and sat on the bed with a huge grin.

"Get up I am taking you two out for coffee. I have news!"

I glare at her. She might have been my best friend but I didn't enjoy people waking me up by breaking into my house.

"I gave you the key for emergencies," I stated.

She shrugged and walked to the door before pausing. "Actually I had the key made because you wouldn't give me one. Not the point common its free coffee, asshole."

With that, she left the room shutting the door behind her. Will was the first to get up and dressed as I didn't want to move or function enough to put pants on.

"Come on Neeks or I am dressing you," Will smiled holding up a yellow shirt that looked like a neon highlighter.

"Fine."

I got and quickly dressed to go see what it was that got Reyna so happy. She was waiting patiently in the living room and jumped up when she saw us.

"I'm driving," she stated before walking out the door beckoning us to follow her. It was times like this that I thought it would be nicer to have no friends.

"Why can you tell us your 'news' here?" I questioned climbing into the front seat. Will got in the back and no sooner did we start driving off to the beloved coffee shop.

"Because it is good news and I am setting the scene. Plus it's early and you can't function worth shit without coffee."

 _She had me there._

The drive was short and for the most part, silent thought it wasn't uncomfortable it was actually nice since I didn't have any energy to hold any conversation.

We walked into the heavenly store that smelled like baked goods and coffee beans. We ordered our drinks and took a seat in the corner booth. The morning sun shining a bit too brightly in the cafe.

Then again till Will came along my room had never seen the light of day since I moved in there.

Will and I looked at Reyna expectantly and she took her time drinking the ice coffee in her hand. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how she was so excited to tell us her 'news' and now she was just casually drinking her coffee at an elderly pace.

"Fucking tell us!" I might have said that too loud but at this point, I didn't care all that much. She turned to us and grinned.

"Well if you must know, you both will be needing to be fitted for suits, your bitch is getting married!"

"Woah congratulations," Will said cheerfully a warm smile present on his face. I paused and got up in an action the shocked even Reyna.

I hugged her.

"I will say I expect to be the man of honor," I laughed.

"I would expect nothing else, I'd love for both of you to be in the wedding and that isn't up for discussion."

We nodded in agreement knowing not to question the authority in her tone.

"So who proposed?" Will asked once we calmed down a bit.

"Well, Thalia beat me to it. I was planning on popping the question after she finished her training fully so, but no the little bitch had to set up a romantic evening that ends with this," she held up her hand and on it was a dark purple ring.

It was plain with only a crown engraved on the inside, it was perfect for Reyna. "So we both did I guess."

After coffee, we dropped off Will to his class and Reyna and I went to a go-kart place. Thalia and Reyna first met here when Thalia flipped her boss off and drove off in a go-kart in the process of almost hitting a few pedestrians.

"So, since I am getting married and Thalia and I both agreed to have a bouquet of flowers . . . we may or may not throw them in a certain direction. If you know what I mean."

"If that is some sex code I really don't want to know what that means, Ra-ra."

I knew Reyna hated when I used her initials but it was something she seemed to get used to, she didn't even hit me anymore.

"Ew, no. I mean we will throw them at you and Will, dumbass."

It kicked in what she was saying and I frowned. "You do realize we barely met a year ago, right?"

She nodded like it was nothing. To me, I needed to know a lot more about someone before marriage.

"Yeah, so?" she turned to mean then back to the road. "Listen, I hate getting sappy and shit, but I haven't seen you this happy since- well ever. He is a good thing for you and something tells me you're stuck with him no matter what you do. Don't fuck it up."

What do you say to that?

Sure she was right and I hated how well she knew me. I have been happy a lot more, Will helped me be happier and if someone would stick with me knowing what he did about my past then yes, I probably would marry the dork someday.

"Okay, enough with this talk, let's skip to the part where I kick your ass at this race. Loser buys the winner lunch."

When she parked her car we shook hands and walked in to get our go-karts. The place wasn't busy which I was very much grateful for.

"Colors?" the guy behind the counter asked. Before I could answer Reyna smirked. "Purple for me and yellow for my friend."

I glared at her briefly before we were ushered outside and into our karts. They gave us the quick run down even though we had been here many times before.

Like I said Thalia worked here so after that they seemed to get a few more rules and guidelines.

"Got it!" Reyna nodded and put on her purple helmet while I had to put on the bright fucking Will Solace color of yellow.

The area where you raced was actually quite cool, it wasn't just a plain road that you drove in a circle. But rather a path of obstacles on your way to the finish line.

Overall I loved it, it made you feel like you knew what you were doing. Almost like you were Vin Diesel in one of the Fast and Furious movies.

We had five laps around then we would see who took first place. Over the laps it was a mix sometimes it was me other times it was her but it was the last lap we counted.

I was doing good and keeping my speed up well when all of a sudden Reyna rushed past me and crossed over the checkered finish line.

We dramatically turned the go-kart in a circle and took her helmet off to scream.

"I won, bitch."

Coming to a stop I parked to go-kart were it should be and rolled my eyes at the grown woman looking like a ten-year-old on Christmas morning.

"Ugh, okay we get it. What am I getting you for lunch?"


	46. Will: Chapter XLVI

I'm not sure how it happened again or how either of us were talked into going to the party again this year but here we were.

It was crazy to see how seven months ago Nico and I were here and how our paths first crossed.

I remember going outside frustrated about how Cecil left me there to walk home when I saw a dark figure leaning up against the house.

Of course not much has changed since then, but at the same time, everything has changed.

Nico danced with me and seemed to be happy and not grumpy like he normally was when he was around people.

Granted that the only condition was that we had to be outside.

The cold November air was not all that nice at eleven-thirty at night but to see my boyfriend smiling it was well worth the cold numbness that washed over me.

"You guys can't dance, leave it to the pros or pro," Thalia walked out hand and hand with her now fiancée, Reyna.

Thalia was a good dancer from the few times I saw and she wasn't afraid to mess up even if she rarely ever did.

Lou and Cecil walked out with blankets and handed them around. "Stole- borrowed these from upstairs before, you know, anything got on them." Cecil winked not all that casually.

"Nice to know," Nico muttered staring questionably at the gray blanket now wrapped around his figure.

The house was the same as it was the last time we were here. There were drunk people who roamed around and several idiots sat wrapped in stolen blankets outside.

The string lights shined out through the windows and you could still hear the loud bass of the music from inside.

Nico without hesitation walked over to me and sat on my lap laying his head in the crook of my neck.

"Cold?" I questioned. I wrapped my arms around him covering him even more with my blanket that was pulled around my back.

I felt a nod before lips were placed on my neck just below my ear.

I could feel his grin when he nibbled on my skin just enough to leave a mark. No one around us seemed to notice or care for that matter. It seemed like Nico and I were in our own little world.

He pulled back enough to smirk at me. His onyx eyes stared into my blue eyes for a moment before he leaned down and kissed me.

The kiss was soft but passionate, he didn't seem to care about the people around us even when he let his tongue enter my mouth. We were both lost in the kiss we didn't even notice until Thalia yelled.

"Get some!" before a flash when off.

Nico pulled back slightly only to glare at her. "You don't think I still have the video of the time you and Reyna went-"

She simply just started running off before I knew it Nico had somehow managed to untangle himself from me and the blankets before chasing after her.

Reyna and I both looked at each other sharing the same worried expression. We took off running after them both before they could kill each other.

The End.


End file.
